Spark Me Up
by futurerustfuture-dust
Summary: As a Call Girl, Natasha's had her fair share of clients though not many that have surprised and enticed her as Loki has. Complete, multi-partner, porn with plot fic.
1. Chapter 1

Natasha kept telling herself that it was just a simple arrangement. Easy. Nothing she hadn't done a half dozen times before. Her fingers were firm as she tightened the belt around her middle for the third time in the last ten minutes, securing the solid black trench coat that covered up the front-zipped dress that ended just above her knees. Her eyes were calm as she watched the cab round the final corner, the lights of the swanky apartments filling the tall buildings they passed with a warmth she didn't usually see. She really ought to have checked out where it was she was going beforehand, she thought, as she dug the heel of her black patent leather peep-toe shoes into the floor of the cab. She'd agreed to meet the man, a Mr. Laufeyson, at his penthouse for a price that far surpassed the other clients she had in the past, so it was normal that her heart thudded a little harder in her chest, she supposed. Her phone sat warm in her jacket pocket. The agency was scheduled to call her within the hour, once she made contact with Mr. Laufeyson, and they had his address and his name on the books so if anything _was_ to go wrong . . . it wouldn't take long for them to get to her. She had to remember that.

Besides, where was life without a little _fun_? She had so many boring clients, that maybe one who left her guessing was just what she needed.

Her tongue wetted her lips as she felt the car beginning to slow down, teeth sinking into her full bottom lip to fatten it further and give it a little more natural color. Lipstick just got _messy_ and she didn't want to deal with that that evening. Already she was second guessing whether or not she'd picked the right shade of lingerie. He'd worn an emerald green waistcoat for their first meeting, was it reading into it too much if her balconette and garters matched?

_Calm down, Romanoff,_ she thought. Her eyes closed as she took a deep, slow breath, counting internally to five, holding for two, then releasing it as the cab came to a stop just outside one of the enormous townhouses right off one of the main streets. She'd been a call girl of her own decision for three years, and never before had a John given her such crazy butterflies in her stomach. With a muted smile she handed over her cab fare plus a healthy tip to the man behind the wheel, mostly because he hadn't given her a lecherous grin as she'd slid into his backseat when he picked up, and he'd kept his eyes resolutely on the streets in front of him the whole drive. It was a rare find, but she was grateful for it.

"Will you still be on duty in a couple hours?" She asked, one foot already out the door, the heel of her shoe pressed against the sidewalk.

"Yea, should be." He gave a one shouldered shrug. "I've got a card-'ere." He handed her a small, waxy business card, his name emblazoned on the front followed by a phone number. She pocketed it, and her smile widened as he wished her a good evening before she stepped out. The chill of the evening set her skin with gooseflesh, even through the pale stockings that she'd rolled up her freshly shaved legs not an hour before. The wind rippling down the street, chasing dry autumn leaves was her only companion as she clacked slowly up the concrete stairs to 610, and her knuckles rapped sharply against the solid wooden door. To the cabbie's-_What kind of a name is Gray?_-credit he stayed until she heard footsteps on the other side of the door, followed by the snick of the deadbolt leaving its place and the door shifted open.

He was wearing the same green waistcoat, she was pleased to see, over a black button down with the sleeves rolled up and oh she'd forgotten how tall he was. Even with her high-heels she had to look up at him, her lips spreading in an easy smile as his green eyes descended slowly over her figure.

"Natasha?" He asked, the lilt in his voice even more gorgeous this time around.

"Unless you're expecting another gorgeous red-head to show up at your doorstep?" She winked, grateful when his body trembled with a soft laugh before he stepped to the side to allow her entrance. "A pleasure to see you again Mr. Laufeyson,"

"Loki, please."

"Loki, then." She offered him her best smile. The heat of the well decorated room put her body at ease, relaxing her muscles enough that she could actually feel comfortable as she settled to stand on one side of the entrance. The walls were a burnished gold that seemed to shift in depth when she turned her head, as though it was moving of its own volition. A steep, polished wood staircase led to an upstairs that was just out of sight, while the rest of the room seemed to lead towards a living room and what she could only assume would be a kitchen. The whole house smelled, surprisingly, delicious. Of something spicy and garlicky, as though he'd just been cooking. It hadn't been part of the bargain, _dinner_ with a happy ending-he'd only paid for the latter-so she put that idea out of her head, thanking him instead when he offered to take her jacket. The phone, provided to her by her agency and _strictly_ for calls to and from their personal security or the front desk, stayed with her. Her fingers had been mercifully steady when she'd untied the belt from around her waist, and she could feel his eyes growing all the more heated as they skimmed the very bottom of her skirt, where the edge of her garters was just barely visible beneath the hem of her black dress. It charged the atmosphere between them, and her stomach flopped as he turned to hang up her coat and afforded her an excellent view of his backside in the fitted black trousers he'd chosen. Not bad, not bad at all. She might even come to enjoy this more than her average engagement.

"Would you prefer my heels stay on or off?" She asked, her voice soft, not wishing to step through his house with them on if he was picky about it. She had hopes to start the evening off on a good foot. No pun intended.

"Off is fine." He assured her. His arms folded across his chest as she knelt lower to undo the straps around her ankles and slide off the heels, lowering herself a good three or so inches so when she'd finished and turned to face him her neck already had a crick in it. Could he get any taller? She certainly hoped not.

"I do hope you're hungry." He beckoned her to follow him through the door, and her mind switched gears.

"Ah, sure. Of course. I didn't know you were planning on cooking. I would've brought a bottle of wine if I had." She shot him a small, apologetic smile as she tried to readjust her expectations. So it might take longer than the hour she had been anticipating, but she didn't have any other plans for the night, and her next appointment was later in the afternoon tomorrow. She had the time to spare. He led the way through the darkened living room (she'd been right after all), to the kitchen where he'd already set up a couple of places on opposite sides of a dark oak circular table. It felt intimate, the overhead lights dimmed, the food already on the table, a bottle of red in an Italian label already uncorked. She'd have to make a detour to grab the strong gum out of her other coat pocket before they took things to the bedroom to make sure her breath wasn't too terrible. He pulled out her chair for her, and she accepted it with a smile, her stomach turning rock hard as she surveyed the pasta piled and gleaming even with the dim light between them. It wasn't possible he'd laced it with anything, was it? She set the discreet phone on the side of the table so she wouldn't drop it on account of her palms sweating so bad, and thanked him as he poured her a glass of wine. She didn't drink from it until she watched him take a sip and swallow it, and even then she took her sweet time, swirling the contents in the glass and inhaling deeply. It was rich, well aged. She'd tasted her fair share of wines, and he certainly knew a thing or two about them. Judging by the scent of the food he'd prepared, how spicy it was, the two ought to go well together.

Color her mildly impressed.

As with the wine she'd waited until he'd taken a bite or two of the food before passing any of it past her lips, humming appreciatively at the taste. It wasn't so spicy that she had to guzzle water, but the fire at the back of her tongue was pleasant enough to make her shiver.

"While I'm very grateful for dinner, I do hope you didn't feel obligated to offer me any food. It wasn't within the evening agreement that was drafted up for the pair of us." She said after the first couple minutes had passed silently between them, filled only with the gentle clatter of silverware and the clink of the wine glasses being placed back down on the wooden table. She needed to know whether or not he expected more from her, expected above and beyond service. Not that she wasn't willing to give it, but it would affect his opinion of her if he had made this with the intent to get more than he'd paid for.

Not that there wasn't much he _couldn't_ do given the amount he'd paid. Still.

"No, of course not. I thought this might set the pair of us at ease."

So he hadn't done it before. Curious. She'd have taken him to be a veteran as calm and collected as he was about the whole situation, but she supposed he could be just as good an actor as she. Maybe not _as_ good but getting there, she corrected herself.

"Of course. Well I appreciate it. You're an excellent cook, and the wine is delicious."

"Thank you." He raised his own glass, as though it'd all been planned, and she followed suit. "To a pleasant evening."

"A pleasant evening." She couldn't help but smile. It was endearing, and easy to slip into the idea that this was nothing out of the ordinary, as though they'd done this half a dozen times before. Every man had a certain tell, a kink that they liked or a scenario that they fell back on and enjoyed the most. She would have to figure out Loki's. He'd already paid extra for the usage of bondage, and had requested a list of her soft and hard limits, so she could imagine what sort of kinks he had . . . but what scenario was he going for? An evening out with a submissive, perhaps? She hadn't exactly dressed the part of a Domme, though she could ease into it if he desired. She cast her eyes down and onto her plate after having taken a drink of her wine, her actions bordering on demure to a fault, when she heard the sound of his chair being pushed back from the table, and his footsteps echoed as they came closer. Her breath grew baited, but she didn't look up at him until he pressed to fingers under her chin to raise her head. His pupils had dilated considerably, and she could already make out the faint outline of his cock beneath his black trousers.

"You _are_ good at this, aren't you? They told me you were the very best in the agency." His voice had gone quiet, spiking her blood pressure with anticipation. So they weren't going to be eating for very long. She doubted she'd have time to grab her gum, dammit all. Well, it was his bloody choice to cook this, anyway. He'd have to suffer the consequences. His thumb stroked the side of her cheek gently, the pad of his digit soft against hers, and her lips parted in the softest breath as she stared up at him from under her eyelashes. His own mouth was pressed into a thin line, and every muscle in his body was relax, though his eyes were tense. Did he expect her to stop him? Hardly breathing, she shifted her head to the side, neck exposed to his, and her eyes shot down once more. It didn't get much more submissive than that. She was rewarded with a soft, cut off groan that spilled from his thin lips before he wrapped an arm around her arm and tugged her upwards.

"Is your safeword the same as on the sheet you'd provided me?"

_Pineapple, it didn't get any stranger than that._

"Yes, of course. Is there a title you'd prefer . . . sir?" She asked and her eyes hardly met his for longer than a half second. He'd moved her so that his body was pressed against hers, and she could feel his cock twitch against her thigh, already thick with blood. That was her favorite part about this job. The sex was generally great, and she loved the constant stream of orgasms she got throughout her week-it really was almost too good to believe she got paid to come-but seeing, and feeling the arousal? Knowing it was her that had done this to the men who visited her? All it took were a couple of strategic words, a flash of cleavage or her tongue rolling over her bottom lip and their attention was all hers. For that hour or so _they_ were hers. There wasn't anything else in the world as intoxicating as that knowledge.

"Sir will work just fine." He said. His hands had wrapped around her wrists and even if she hadn't been looking she'd have been able to tell he was giving her another slow once over, the heat of his attention burying deep in her blood. One of his long-fingered hands moved to take the zipper and with a swift jerk of his arm he'd undone the entire thing, pushing it off of her and onto the floor. She fought against her instinct to cover herself up, not having been told she could, and though the threat of what he would do was a sweet temptation she didn't think it wise to push him just yet. Not without discovering what it was he truly wanted. His left hand cupped one of her breasts through the fabric of her green bra, massaging it just hard enough to make her gasp, as his right hand's fingers traced intricate, incomprehensible patterns up and down her shoulder blades before trailing to the small of her back. Goosebumps rose under his touch, and he let out a soft hiss as his fingers found the frills of her emerald garter.

"Good god, you are worth every penny," he hissed, surging closer to kiss her hard. His tongue pressed into her mouth before she could think otherwise, and beneath him she groaned.

"Touch me," he growled against her lips, granting her the freedoms to explore the flat planes of his own body. She longed to reach up and under his shirt, to undo the buttons of his waistcoat and rip that black button up off of him as easily as he'd ripped her dress from her, but patience. She needed to let the anticipation make his mind go blank, rather than succumbing to it herself. His hips rocked against hers, and now she could feel him right where she wanted him, the outline of his cock rubbing against her already soaked slit. A whimper escaped from her lips to his before she could help it, and he grinned to hear it.

"Good girl." He spread his kisses down past her lips, his back hunching over as he trailed them up the line of her jaw and to her ear. "You are going to be my good girl, aren't you?"

"Yes sir," she managed to gasp, keeping her head as level as she could. One of his hands had worked its way downwards and stroked her through the silk of her black panties, teasing her soaked slit until it pushed aside the fabric and sank to the knuckle inside her. The breath rushed from her lungs in a muffled gasp, a moan snaking its way out with it as her hands gripped him hard on his shoulders. Lazily, he pumped the finger in and out of her, bending it to rub the pad of his finger against her g-spot until her knees went weak and he had to help her stand up. All the while he murmured in her ear how good she was, how tight she felt around him. How he was going to sink his cock into her until she lost her voice for screaming. He added a second finger to emphasize it, and his pace picked up as he worked her into a soft, mewling mess. Her legs had very nearly gone out again, so he held her all the tighter by the waist and fingerfucked her where she stood.

"Don't come." He slowed his pace just as her body had begun to tighten and her breath had shortened to gasps that had started to suck the color out of her vision. She clamped down around his fingers, whimpering as he pulled them from her and replaced her panties where they had been before. She didn't have to see her reflection to know that she looked utterly debauched, her lips hanging open, reddened and thick from kissing, the color high in her cheeks and her eyes glazed with desire. He brought his arousal-soaked fingers up into her mouth, and she sucked them clean with vigor, bobbing her head as she swallowed the digits and rolled her tongue around them. It was his turn to groan at the impressive display, his turn for his knees to weaken and for his breathing to grow labored.

"Enough." He pulled his fingers from her mouth, and she gave a soft keen of disappointment. "Or I'll end up taking you right here on the floor, and I have such plans for you, Natasha."

Good. She liked plans. Plans, nine times out of ten, resulted in her orgasming, and after he'd been such a cocktease with her she was eager to come. She tried not to preen with pleasure.

"Go up the stairs, and take the last door on the left. There'll be a small black box on the bed. Put that on. I'll be up in a moment." He assured her, leaning in to kiss her once more. They shared her taste between the two of them, cut short only by the ringing of her phone on the table. Oh, right. She'd nearly forgotten.

She offered him an apologetic smile as she pulled away. "Sorry, policy. Just half a second."

"Of course."

So he'd done the reading they'd provided explaining what that meant. Impressive. Most of her clients skipped right over it. Still, she picked up the phone, and smiled to hear Angelina on the other line.

"Everything going alright Natasha?"

"Yes, certainly. The party's going fabulously." There was no need for worry, in other words.

"Good to hear. Enjoy yourself." Angelina's voice was pleasant, despite the hour, and with a mumbled thanks Natasha clicked off. There. Easy enough.

"Everything settled?" Loki asked. He'd edged himself over to the island counter, leaning back on it, long fingers wrapped around the black and grey granite top. He epitomized cool and collected, as though she hadn't felt him hard and wanting against her body just half a minute ago. She nodded, depositing the phone back onto the table top. Then, without another word between them she hurried upstairs, the padding of her stocking covered feet echoing through the house as she quickened her pace. She had to keep the customer happy, but more than that she wanted him to be happy.

_Why_?

She wasn't going to look into that. Not right then.

There were fifteen stairs and she was proud of herself for not tripping over a single one of them in her haste to get to the very top. She didn't imagine he was a patient man, and she was eager to see what it was he had planned for her. Last door on the left. It was already ajar, and with sure fingers she pushed it open only to stop dead in her tracks. The house up until this point had been lovely, yes, but she'd seen many a nice home when she'd been hunting for an apartment of her own-but this was lush to an extreme. The green sheets and comforter looked like they would be silk, adoring the four-poster bed that was larger than she would've thought would have fit in his apartment, and as before the walls were the same similar gold. The light in the sconce above set the walls on fire, but she kept it dimmed. As he'd said there was a small box on the very edge of the bed in a black box, and her heart sped up as she took it in her hand and opened it up. A blindfold. Simple, black silk, followed by instructions for her to lay on the bed on a small card just beneath it. Her palms began to sweat in anticipation and she couldn't help but grin as she set the box on the bedside table and laid down on the sumptuous sheets. Looking up, she noticed that there were two black bands of fabric on the top posts, and that widened her grin further. Bondage could be fun, and it certainly wasn't anything she wasn't familiar with. She relaxed and closed her eyes before she slid the silk over her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She filled her ears with it, and the sound of the silent room around her, waiting in anticipating for the sound of his footsteps on the stairs.

Except she didn't hear him, not on the stairs, not pushing the door wider open, not _breathing_, as though he was focusing on everything he could to ensure that he remained silent. So when his hands wrapped around hers she actually did give a start, her body jolting with the realization that he was _right_ there above her. He laughed, and the sound invaded the space around her, to such a degree that she half considered removing the blindfold and making sure there weren't half a dozen of him surrounding her. Wouldn't that be a thought?

"Relax, I didn't mean to frighten you," he assured her with a smile in his voice. She felt his fingers thread through her hair, tugging on it ever-so slightly so that she turned her head towards it, following the movement of his hand. "You're such a good girl for me, aren't you?"

"Yes, just for you sir." She assured him, undulating her hips forward and trying not to focus on just how _real_ it felt when her breath caught in her throat. That was getting into dangerous territory, and she didn't _do_ that sort of thing. No way, no how. The bed shifted with his weight as he came to kneel on either side of her body, his hips straddling her torso. His hands danced up her torso to cup her breasts, massaging them once more through the fabric as Natasha's lips parted in a shocked gasp. She liked that a great deal and made sure that he knew it while she was allowed to remain vocal. He didn't mind her broken moans, taking his time sliding the straps of her bra over her shoulders and down her arms. The soft satin was so familiar, Natasha having worn it before, but now it felt luxurious, the sensation heightened so that her head spun, and the cold air on her bared breasts once he'd done away with the garment entirely forced the breath from her lungs entirely.

"Give me your arms darling." He said, already wrapping his hands around her delicate wrists and positioning them where he wished. She let him, shuddering as the silk was tied around her skin, the binding tight enough that when she experimentally tugged she didn't get further than an inch or so.

She didn't think she'd regret this but the panic began in the hollow of her gut anyway. Blindfolded, arms bound. She was confident that if she had enough time she would be able to slide her wrists out of the bindings. If things went very poorly, however, there wouldn't be time enough for her.

He sensed her tension and in the middle of tying her second wrist he brought his lips to her left temple. "Hey, relax. I give you my word that nothing will happen. You remember your safe word?"

"Pineapple."

"Exactly. If you feel like you cannot take any more say that and I'll undo you. We'll figure it out from there."

But that might mean she'd have to give back the generous commission that had already fattened up her bank account. She swallowed her fear with a smile she forced herself to feel to the bone. She'd done this before, and even if it had been at her own home, she reminded herself that her employers knew that she was there. She was safe. Her limbs softened, and he groaned in her ear, telling her how proud he was. She preened with the praise.

He continued his slow exploration of her body, and without being able to touch him of her own volition, and without being able to see, her brain was being forced into overdrive from the sensations. His mouth was warm when he'd suckled on her breasts, a perfect mix of tongue and teeth that shortened her breath and made her clit throb with need. His kisses continued downward, teeth scraping at the underside of her breasts before his lips passed over her ribs with light, delicate touches that burned her all the more. His right hand ghosted over her hip, playing with the edge of her panties until he finally took to slipping them down her swollen sex and past her legs. Her garters he kept on, along with the silk stockings that he kissed in reverence.

She hadn't pegged him to be so bloody considerate and slow when it came to this part, having anticipated that he'd fuck her as often as he could manage and send her on her way. Instead this strange, methodical cataloguing set a slow burn in the base of her gut, flamed even hotter by the way he murmured her name against her skin. A reverent prayer of sorts, she supposed, not about to question why or for how long when it was so enjoyable.

Still, there was only so long she could wait. Her legs hooked around his waist when she heard the clink of his buckle being undone, her arms pulling at her bindings as her fingers longed to undress him far quicker than he seemed to deem necessary.

"Are you desperate yet, Natasha?" He asked, voice dipping low as she felt warm breath ghosting over her exposed sex. She whimpered. His tongue flicked out, rolled over her exposed clit and sucked hard enough to make her shout. Her heels dug into the soft comforter, planting themselves to keep from bucking up and into the attention he was giving her.

"Yes-please, _please_ sir I need you so badly." She couldn't find a lie within her own voice, and was surprised by the aching truth of it all. "Sir please."

She thought she might explode when he pulled his mouth away from her, the pressure and heat of his tongue and lips leaving along with the groan of disbelief that fell from her lips. She didn't have to wait long, though, and even as he told her to keep perfectly still as he undressed she felt herself beginning to fidgit. She could hear the rustling of cloth, could feel the heat of his body that much closer to her as the bed shifted around her, but it didn't prepare her for the sudden press of his flesh against her own, for the press of his cock against her entrance and oh. He filled her with one, sweet thrust-finally-until their hips met and her back nearly broke with how it arched.

His palm swatted her now exposed backside, bringing a breathless cry from her throat. "I told you to stay still. Didn't I?"

She whimpered as he pulled himself out, then pressed back in just as smoothly as he had before. She very nearly nodded, but caught herself just in time to stammer out: "Y-yes, of course. I'm sorry, sir."

Fingers found her throat and wrapped gently around them. Her heart sped up. "Then be my good girl and listen to me. Wrap your legs around my hips. Good." He hiked them up further, and pulled out inch by inch until just the tip of him remained within her. Her muscles tensed, desperate for the pressure he was denying her, the sweet sensation of being filled, but she didn't move. Her body trembled, her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip to keep from begging him, _but she didn't move_.

His quiet laugh was that of appreciation. "Now, be a good girl and fuck yourself on my cock, won't you?"

So that was the game, then. Blinded to just how she was supposed to do _that_, she tightened her legs around his hips and managed to drag herself down onto his dick, then pulled herself back up by using the silk ties around her wrists. It wasn't near as satisfying as when he fucked into her, but it would do, and if she angled her hips just right-. The fat head of his cock brushed against her g-spot, and her body tightened around him, swallowing up an extra inch as she rolled her hips. Above her, braced on his hands, given how much further away his voice sounded, her client hissed and groaned through clenched teeth.

"God, you feel so fucking good. C'mon, faster now." He ordered and one of his hands reached out to stroke the soft swell of her hip, cupping a handful of her backside, before stabilizing itself just beside her shoulder.

Her thighs already burned, her cheeks joining them as she whined and tried to pick up the pace as quickly as she could. It was agony, heat and agony as she worked herself up and down as best she could manage in the awkward position, her head tipped backwards and teeth gritted as she felt herself getting closer to climax. The way his body tightened above hers proved she wasn't alone.

"Is that the very best you can do?" He goaded. His teeth nipped at her throat and her pace stuttered as a result, her hips shifting once again to try and take him deeper.

"N-no, sir. I'll do better."

"Beg me and I'll give you what you need."

That was tempting. Her muscles would thank her for it in the morning, but something in the lilt of his voice, the tightness in it that made her want to try all the harder. She gave a low growl and planted her feet on the bedspread to gain better traction. If it wasn't for all those years doing yoga she might not have been able to pull this off, and with the sweat that soaked their bodies it made it all the easier for her to slide further down his body and bury him deep within her. He gasped, as surprised as she was that she'd managed it, and Natasha grinned as she picked up her pace. He filled her so wonderfully. She'd had her fair share of promising lovers, from the well endowed, the too well endowed, to the less blessed, and none of them had ever made her work for her pleasure like this, let alone make her like it. But Loki? Every so often he'd tilt his hips further into her, just the slightest of nudges as she worked hard to make him come, tightened around him to ensure both of their maximum pleasure, and each concession he granted her made her vision white out and her body ripple with the aftershocks of pleasure.

"Talk to me, dear girl," he growled as he took the lobe of her ear in between his teeth and nipped at it. "Tell me how this feels. I want to hear your lovely voice."

"It's-you feel so good, sir." She gasped, wetting her dry lips and turning her face to offer him better access as she whimpered. "I love the feel of you inside me-filling me. Oh, _God_ it's so good. I need more, please. I'm going to come-can I come, sir? Please?" It wasn't a lie. She didn't see herself faking it with him, didn't need to.

"Come for me, then. If you can make yourself do it, do it." He hissed the last two words. The command was just enough to send her over an edge she didn't know she was so close to, and as she pushed herself back down onto him, filling her cunt with his solid body, she convulsed beneath him and shouted his name. Her back arched, breasts pressed hard against his chest, and he thrust into her of his own volition. She felt the bed shifting around her, felt his lips leave her ear as his hands moved to take her by the hips and _slam_ into her with enough force to knock her bones out of alignment. Still, it wasn't enough. Her wrists ached as he urged her to lay back, and positioned her legs up and around his shoulders. The new angle drove his cockhead right against her g-spot again, the battering of it breaking her voice as she tried to call out to him and beg for more above the sound of their flesh slapping against one another

"You're so good for me, darling. So good. _Dammit_ I'm going to fuck you through this _fucking_ mattress, I swear." He hissed, fingers bruising her hips as he slammed her back onto him over, and over again. Her second orgasm coiled deep in her gut as his body tightened above her. It wouldn't be long, not long at all, and she whimpered and pleaded for him until her throat went raw and her fingers nearly cut through her palm from digging her nails into her skin. It didn't take him much longer than that, and as his hips pressed hard into hers and he shouted her name loud enough that it still rang in her ears she found herself joining him, the second orgasm hitting even harder than the first. She'd never had that, not with a client before, and certainly not untouched. Her body went slack as he filled her so much that his come began to leak out of her body, and she whimpered at the sensation.

His forehead pressed against hers, and with a murmur he told her that he was going to remove the blindfold. She nodded, mute, and as his fingers slowly slipped the silk up and off of her face she was grateful for having left the lights on dim. His pupils were so large there was little more than a ring of green around them, and sweat had made strands of hair cling to his forehead and temple while color clung to his cheeks, a testament to just how wrecked he was. She wondered what she looked like as she blinked quickly and adjusted her vision even in the dim lights.

"I wish I could've seen your eyes as you came," he whispered as he dipped his face closer to kiss her. She received it, tongue lazily finding his and whimpering when he sucked on her bottom lip.

"There's always a next time," she assured him, voice hoarse and smile perhaps a little too cheeky for their situation. The grin on his face told her he certainly hoped so.

* * *

Half an hour later she'd been freed from her soft bonds, rubbing at where the skin had reddened and walking down the stairs on weak knees. Her bra had been redone a little haphazardly, courtesy of Loki having kissed her neck and distracting her until she wasn't sure if he was going to try taking her another time or actually let her out, and she zipped her dress back up once she got back to the kitchen. Their food had long gone cold, though Loki offered her the rest of the bottle of wine if she wanted to take it back with her, or more food.

She bit her lip as she turned around to look at him. "You are a curiosity, aren't you?" She tipped her head to the side and pressed onto her tiptoes so she could kiss him. Slowly, languidly taking her time as she felt him shiver underneath her. She wondered if he had a submissive bone in his body, and if he'd be willing to let her try it out some time. _That_ would keep her there if she thought about it anymore, and so instead she lowered herself back down to her heels and shook her head.

"That's very sweet, but I suppose you'll just have to have me back another time so I can try more of your excellent cooking."

"You're an excellent salesman, darling." He said with a laugh of admiration. "Perhaps I will. You have a ride?"

"I'll give him a call right now." She assured him, taking back her phone from the table to dial Gray's number and hope that he was still on duty. If not she had another she could call, though she'd have liked to help him out.

"And you're sure I cannot persuade you to stay any longer?" He asked, running his hand down her forearm, even as they both started walking towards the door, Natasha collecting her shoes and sliding them back on. She caught Loki staring at them, tongue flicking out to run over his bottom lip. Next time, she promised herself.

"I can be persuaded just about anything if the price is right." She told him, an unfortunate truth, but a reality in her industry. One he ought to remember. It quirked the corners of his lips, and he hastened to step to the side where her coat had been hung up. From the pocket of one of his own he pulled a wallet, thick with bills, and offered her a handful.

She looked it over slowly, unsure what exactly he meant by this. It was a fourth of what she'd been offered for an evening.

"A tip." He said with a laugh of his own. "You have a point. I have to leave something to look forward to."

She smiled and accepted the bills with a smile of her own, stuffing them into her coat pocket after he'd helped her into it. "Thank you, Loki."

He nodded, keeping silent as she dialed Gray's number, and he assured her that he'd have no problem picking her up, already in the area. Lucky for her. Before she left she kissed Loki once more, her hand moving to cup the back of his neck, taking control of the kiss this time as she explored his mouth. He was breathless when she pulled away at the sound of the horn just outside, eyes glazed, and there was a new saunter in her step as she bade him a good night and squeezed herself out the door. More for his imagination _indeed_.

* * *

A/N: Hello! So, I've been meaning to write this for quite a long time, and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of what will eventually become a longer piece of work. When it will be updated I can't say, but eventually it will be. As for now, this'll stand as a one shot until I can get the time to finish some of my other works, and focus more on this.

A huge pair of shout outs go to SelinaKyle on AO3 for inspiring this with her own Adult Industry fic, and Jessy for introducing me to Billie Piper's show _Diary of a Call Girl _which is fabulous.

As ever thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Alright, just a heads up: some serious canon divergence in this chapter and some references to Age of Ultron. Just slight ones, but if you know nothing about it this chapter does reference an arc within the movie. Also, this isn't going to be a strictly Natasha/Loki fic, she will have others that she sleeps with being a call girl and all, so if that's a turn off I'd skip this chapter. Thanks so much for reading!

* * *

The next day greeted Natasha with a fury, and she cursed the wine that Loki had given her, as well as her lack of foresight for not having taken any advil to combat the headache that rocketed around her head, having barely removed her dress before she'd collapsed into bed. She hadn't even _drank _that much, but she hadn't eaten much either. While her muscles burned deliciously, the wire of her bra cutting into her sides was no pleasant at all.

"Fucking-goddamn. I hate bras," she muffled into her pillow, arms struggling to undo the clasp. "No good, useless, baaaaaaahh-fuck!" With a cry of surprise that she paid for seconds later by the increased sharp pain between her eyes, she undid the two hooks, wriggled her arms through the straps, and threw it to the side. A low sigh left her lips in contentment to feel the cool air on her back, and the warm silk sheets against her breasts. That was much better.

Her phone ringing two minutes later brought on yet another slew of curses. Hair a mess and hanging over her eyes, she struggled to reach for the shrieking electronic. Couldn't she get a damn moment's rest? For once?

"What?" she bit as soon as she swiped her finger on the lock screen, managing to have hit the speaker button.

"Wow. Good morning, sunshine," Thor's thick accent muddled with his laugh on the other end. Almost immediately her heart leapt and an embarrassed snort escaped her own mouth. "Late night?"

"A bit. Drank a little too much, sorry."

"You've gotta stop that, or at least call me first so I can join in." He cursed at something she couldn't see, allowing her a moment to collect herself. Pushing her hair out of her face her gaze flickered upwards to the time at the top of her phone, Thor's attention diverted. Half past 8 meant he was on his way to work, and as it was unlikely she'd get back to sleep now she supposed she ought to be doing the same thing. With a groan she sat up, rubbing her eyes and smudging what makeup she hadn't sweat off the evening before. Not much. She really needed better product and after last night . . . well, she could validate a splurge more than ever.

"Nat-Naat. You're off planet."

"Sorry," she winced even if he couldn't see , taking him with her as she ran to the bathroom. She'd find her advil there, and swallowed a couple dry before starting the water so she could clean herself up. "Got caught up. What were you saying?"

On the other end Thor let out a snort that told her he was rolling his eyes at how spacy she could be. Really, it was better if they left it at that. She'd managed to go three years in the business without ever having her private life and her work life having crossed-and she very much intended to keep it that way. Thor didn't need to know just what she meant when she said she worked with calls all day, and when she got lost in her thoughts about a client, or about what she had to do for the rest of the day, it was just better that he thought she was a little ditzy. Sure, it made explaining her moments of genius that much more difficult to explain away, but she kept most of her thoughts to herself anyway so really, it wasn't too much to worry about.

"I was double checking that you were coming to my party this weekend. My brother's back in town. I told you about this a month ago? Ringing any bells?"

"Yes-yeah, of course. I'll be there. Made sure I got the day off already. I promise you I'll be there."

"'Cause you missed the last three."

"Don't remind me. In my defense you were trying to set me up with someone."

"Bruce is a great guy! And I maintain that you two would be awesome together."

"Thor."

"Just saying! I'm not gonna push it."

Nat snorted around her toothbrush, having quickly done a once over of her teeth, glad to leave behind the acrid taste of wine and come from the night before, spitting out the mint toothpaste and gargling quick. "I'm not looking for anything steady."

"That's what you've been saying since I've known you." There was another muffled curse. "Right-anyway be there! I've gotta get going."

"Have a good day, and don't worry so much about me. I'll be there," she assured him.

They hung up soon after, Nat smiling in spite of herself. She was lucky as hell to have Thor, truly she was. When they'd met at the supermarket just down the street from Natasha's apartment she'd only just moved in and had no idea what she was doing, or how in the hell she was going to get her favorite coffee all the way at the back of the top shelf. Thor had taken pity on her when he'd noticed her struggling, standing on the bottom shelf and reaching as far as she could without even coming close to brushing against it, and had grabbed it without her having to ask. The very next day she'd gotten a call back from Eve Services, and that was how her life had been since. She'd never looked back, not that she had much to go back to. So long as Thor didn't know about her actual job, well, she figured she had nothing to worry about. He already worried about her so much as it was, and it'd gotten worse the longer he'd known her, that if he had any inkling what it was she did professionally she was afraid it might give him heart failure.

So there was no reason to tell him. Besides, business did well enough as it was, so she didn't have much to complain about. She showered and managed to snag a clean dress from the back of her closet (she really needed to do laundry), and after tying her hair back and applying minimum make up was out the door, heading to the agency building just as her advil began to kick in. Thank goodness. As much as she'd reasoned the night before that she could sleep in getting to work early might mean an extra half hour to hour pay if she could snag a client before their biweekly meetings. The more she did the better off she'd be. And if she got luckier and found another wealthy client like Loki . . .

That might've been pushing her good fortune just a little. Still, it didn't hurt to dream, and dream she did. Two gentlemen were milling around the entrance waiting area when she stepped into the discreet glass-walled building. She'd always found that so amusing-how open and blatant everything was at the front when it was an escort service. She flashed both mena bright smile in turn, and though the black haired man might've been her type there was something incredibly endearing about his foil. Just to his left, cheeks so pink he could hardly hide them behind his issue of TIME magazine, sat a slight blond man, the top of his platinum head hardly showing over the top of the magazine. His left foot tapped nervously, but he seemed hell-bent on reading the same page over and over rather than doing anything. Cute. She felt her lips twist into an easy grin as she stepped up to the head desk and winked at Darcy sitting just behind the desk.

"Who's blondie with today?" Nat kept her voice low, inconspicuous. Last thing she needed was a client overhearing. THe muzak in the background should've been enough, but she couldn't take any chances.

"No one yet, though Anna is warming up."

So she wasn't the only one to get there early. Nat pulled a face. "Give the other guy to Anna. She won't restrain herself with blondie. Might scare the poor kid off."

Darcy rolled her eyes, popping her bubblegum before fixing Natasha with a solid stare. "Nat."

"C'mon. I'll take him. See if I can't make him a repeat customer." She winked. "Isn't that better than Anna making this a one-time thing? She'll try eating him alive." She had nothing against the woman-liked her level headed self, truly-but she had no patience. This one would need it.

After a moment's consideration Darcy seemed to agree, and a couple clacks on her keyboard later rearranged the schedules. Anna came down a half minute later with a smile on her face, accepting the information from Darcy with a well-practiced smile before sauntering over to the other man. Natasha watched her go, waited until they'd both disappeared into the elevator, before thanking Darcy once again and heading over towards where the blond sat. He still hadn't turned the page.

"Mr. Rogers?" The name made a quiet laugh bubble in her throat but she kept it to herself, just glad that he hadn't decided on wearing a sweater vest or else she might've been in real trouble.

His head snapped up at the name, and the magazine was folded and put to the side with shaky hands. "Just Steve, please. Makes me feel old otherwise."

"Steve," Natasha corrected with a smile and an extension of her manicured hand. "I'm Natasha, I'll be working with you today." She was glad she'd taken it upon herself to dress down, rather than going the whole nine yards this morning. Anymore than what she had on and she might give him heart failure.

There were certain words she couldn't say, especially with a new client. Most of them didn't care to be reminded that they were paying for this, that they were seeing a call girl, and so early in the morning meant that he was looking for something quick, discreet, to be done with so he could get on with the rest of his day. No nonsense, she could respect that. Calling attention to the situation that he was in wouldn't make it any better for either of them. He shook her hand, standing and shifting from foot to foot before looking towards the elevators. Apprehension played over his brow.

"Are you ready?" she asked, keeping her voice light and lacing their fingers together, squeezing his hand in hopes that it might give him a little more confidence. He smiled, and while it might've been reassuring any other time, or a sign that he was in fact okay with what he had paid for, it only made him seem more nervous than ever. She'd get him somewhere a little more private to talk, then they'd figure it out, and so for the moment she took the smile as a go ahead to lead him into the elevators that would take them up to her rooms. Unlike last night, most of her liaisons happened in the company building. It was their way of minimizing damage control, and being able to have fully and unrestricted access to the rooms of their workers should the worst come to the worst. Anything that went on outside of the building came with a hefty price, as well as a call to make sure that everything was going okay. Her phone had a tracking device on it as well that activated when she missed the check in. Just in case. She hadn't been sure about the whole situation when she'd gotten started, but after having done it a hundred or so times she was quickly on board with the program.

Her room was done up in blue that only made her hair all the more striking, emphasizing the paleness of her skin with deep navy sheets on her four poster bed. Sometimes things got a little kinked out, and she was one of the girls that specialized in particular fantasies, so they had to ensure that her room came equipped to handle those sorts of requests. This time, she thought, wouldn't be like that. With the door closed behind them, she offered Steve a drink, motioning towards the small refrigerator that held champagne, beer, water, and gatorade that was strictly her own. When you had a multiplicity of scenes and different clients who all decided they wanted to go the extra mile in one day, electrolytes and sugar tended to come in handy.

"Just a water, thanks," he said with an inclination of his head in appreciation. She nodded, feeling his eyes on her as she walked-just walked-towards the unit and pulled a water bottle from the inside, tossing it to him. His reflexes were excellent, she'd give him that, and he caught the chilled plastic bottle without issue. He was a down to earth type of guy, who wouldn't have looked for a sultry seductress, so she'd play it up as just a regular girl next door and see how that went.

"Now, you do know what it is I do here, right? What you paid for?" There was a clipboard that she'd done a once over when she'd gotten the assignment from Darcy, said he'd paid up for an hour or so of intercourse, nothing flashy, just plain old sex. Oral was a possibility, both giving and receiving, and though she was of course on birth control, he requested condoms. She was surprised, and grateful, for it, though by the looks of him this might've been his first time.

Or he was old fashioned, and didn't underestimate the value of good ol' protection when it came down to it. Either way, she was prepared.

"Yes. Uhh, this was paid for me. As a sort of joke. Actually." He rubbed the back of his neck, not looking at her, the water bottle still capped and in his hand, as though he didn't think he had any right to it. "Friend of mine said I didn't get any action lately and that was why I was so tense so . . . here we are."

Well that explained the hesitance, the pink cheeks and the inability to look at where he'd gotten to. She moved backwards, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot beside her, loosening her shoulders so she looked as unintimidating as possible. It worked. He crossed the grey, plush carpet and seated himself just beside her. She smiled.

"I'm not going to make you do something you don't want," she assured him. Her hand found his spare one, rubbed her fingers gently over his knuckles. They looked as though they'd been battered once or twice before, scars showing up only when he clenched, then relaxed. Was he a fighter? It was hard to imagine, as proper and, well, small as he was.

"It's not that I don't-. You're very pretty."

"Thank you," she said with a shy smile, looking down and biting her bottom lip, then sneaking a glance over to see that he was watching her. "But . . .?"

"Well, I kind of love . . . him."

Ohhh. Well, that was awkward. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, absorbing the information and working her mind as quickly as she could. She wondered how Anna and the other guy were getting on. Dammit. "There are a number of other agencies I can refer you to that specialize in that. They're not so discreet, I'm assuming he doesn't know-."

"He does. I'm, well, I'm not picky about which team I play for." With every word his cheeks got redder and redder and his hands twisted the bottle, rubbing off the condensation that formed around the plastic. "But, I mean I'd like to. With you. I just-I'm making a mess of this whole thing, aren't I?"

"You feel like your emotions are tangled up because you want to be with him, but your body's telling you to go ahead with it because-I'm guessing he paid for it?"

"Yeah. Wow, you're good at this. Happen a lot?" he joked, trying for a lighter tone. She let herself laugh.

"Not quite like that, but it's not unheard of. Usually happens right in the middle, though. After I've already warmed them up they decide it's not quite what they were expecting and jump ship."

"Sex is confusing," he murmured.

"It doesn't have to be." Her fingertips stretched up his arm, towards where the sleeves had been rolled up just over his elbows, and played at the soft skin there. He shivered. "If you want to do this then I'm more than happy to oblige you, but I don't want to make you do something you aren't comfortable with. If you'd rather wait for him to catch on, we can just sit here for an hour. There's a strict policy here that we don't kiss and tell anything about our customers. Or if you'd rather go and get him his money back, say that I wasn't what you were expecting, I won't be offended."

She smiled as he shook his head, mouth opening to oppose, but silenced him for just a little while longer. "But ultimately the choice is yours. Whatever you're comfortable doing, and it can be in whatever position, way, however you want. I'm comfortable with just about everything, but I want to make sure you enjoy yourself as well."

He was silent following her words, and she half expected him to just sit there for the whole hour. She'd play psychotherapist with the limited college education she'd pushed herself through, and they'd part at the end of the hour without anything else having happened. She'd done it before, and it certainly wasn't the worst option she'd ever faced.

"Can I kiss you?"

She hadn't expected him to ask, but she nodded, her smile deepening as he shifted closer and pressed his lips against hers. His lips were soft, and when he parted them to explore the rest of her mouth she tasted spearmint and hints of coffee, as though he'd chewed gum right before coming to make up for what he'd drank that morning. She appreciated it, and when his hands fluttered without knowing quite what else there was to do she took them and slotted them on her hips. He let out a low groan, one that sent delicious shivers up her spine at the inhibitionless noise, and he pressed all the closer.

"Could we, I mean, you don't mind?" he asked, voice raspy and breathless when they finally parted for need of oxygen. She stifled a laugh, letting it come out as a quiet giggle.

"Not at all. Please." She arched her back into his palm when he pressed it to her breast. Her fingers moved down to tug at the hem of her dress, pulling it up and over her head in a couple jerky motions, trying to wriggle free from it without taking him off guard by how often she'd done it and how fluid it could be when she focused. But no, the more organic this could feel, the more unpracticed she seemed, the more comfortable he would be, she imagined. So she was clumsier than she would've let her be any other time. fumbling with the belt of his black slacks until he took over with a kind smile of his own.

For being a slight man she had to admit she wasn't expecting him to be hiding _that. _Her mouth watered as she stared down at his cock, working out just how she was going to approach it as she turned to grab a condom. Once again she felt him watching her backside, and mused that doggy style _would _be pretty stellar given the size of him, and part of her wanted to say to hell with blowing him and just jump right to sex.

But no. She pulled the wrapped plastic out, opting for the larger of the sizes she had, and taking care not to let him see the others it was attached to for fear it might ruin the feel they were going for. With a smile she handed it over, and watched as he undid the foil wrapping and tugged it on with more practice than she was anticipating. She took the foil from his hands and tossed it onto the ground before easing him backwards onto the bed. He was a few inches shorter than her, so when she laid down at his side he was at the perfect height to bury his face in her breasts, sucking at the nipples and massaging the tissue so that the moans that fell from her mouth were as genuine as they got, pleasure coiling low in her gut. His hips were canted upwards slightly, allowing her to reach over and take him into her hand, jerking him off slowly. She let him control the speed, just when they were going to switch positions, and was surprised to see that he skipped oral foreplay all together and instead separated in time to ask her to get on her hands and knees. As she'd assumed. Cheeks already warm from the pleasure he'd been giving her, and certainly wet enough, she had no problem playing the slightly embarrassed but ready partner, wiggling her backside coquettishly when he positioned himself between her legs. His laugh was light, and his hands solid as they found her hips again, before pressing the head of his cock to her swollen slit and easing himself inside inch by inch.

Again, Nat found she didn't have to fake the groan of relief that left her lips, forehead tipping into the mattress as her face screwed up in pleasure. _Fuck! _

"Ohhh Steve. Yes," she groaned, relaxing as best she could so he could move quicker, sliding in to the root so that she wasn't entirely sure he wasn't poking her stomach with the tip of his dick. His own breathing was coming in pants as he stilled. It was all she could do not to fuck herself back on him, hands fisting in the bedspread to keep herself in check. "You feel so good."

"Yeah?" He sounded absolutely wrecked, and when she looked back at him she saw that his brow was tightly pinched and the color had risen considerably in his face. One of her hands reached backwards, took his own, and slotted her fingers alongside his.

"Yeah, you do. Love the way you feel, _oh_."

He'd pulled a couple inches out, then pushed right back in, with just enough force to rock her forward a half inch or so. With little more prompting he found a rhythm that worked for the both of them, and Natasha's soft keens were only interrupted with the sound of flesh hitting flesh, interspersed with low groans of his own. When she felt his body begin to falter, his rhythm disturbed by his oncoming orgasm, she moved to press a hand to her clit. In her surprise he reached down and swatted her hand away, his thumb pressing to the slicked bundle of nerves at the top of her slit until she was bucking back against him. Her orgasm crashed around her, and as her body tightened around his he stilled, mouth hanging slack, and filled the condom with his come.

* * *

In the end he tipped her an extra fifty, and she took it with a grateful smile and a kiss to his cheek, wishing him the best of luck with his friend. He'd thanked her as he redid his buckle and slid his shoes back on before heading out back towards the elevators. From there he'd finish up the paperwork, give his final sign off that everything was to his satisfaction (hopefully), and she had a little extra pocket change that she shoved into the bottom shelf of her dresser. There was time for her to wash up quickly before hiking on her dress from before and heading to the top floor where their meeting would be held. Each of the agents liked to meet with their girls a couple times a month to make sure that everything else was fine, and it'd conclude with a simple physical check-up to ensure everything was in working order and no one was hiding any dirty little secrets that might threaten the company. Nothing big, really.

Didn't mean she didn't hate them all the same as she made her way up to the stuffy room. Food was already set out for them all, salad and breadsticks catered from her favorite restaurant. It changed every meeting, rotating through each of their favorite foods so that at least they were guaranteed to like something about the meeting. In the back of her mind, as her agent berated one of the girls for not having secured enough long-term clients, she wondered whether or not Loki had made another appointment, wondered if he really would make good on his promise to call on her again.

"Natasha, how'd it go with your meeting last night?"

Sometimes, she wondered whether or not her agent, Emma, could read her mind. Swallowing the bite she'd taken of her garden salad, she smiled. "Well. Nothing unusual, and he was surprisingly a gentleman about the situation. Said he'd make another appointment."

"I hope so. He's an excellent investor."

Yes, Nat imagined he was, and she just hoped that if he did continue on then it'd be with her, and he wouldn't look to try out another girl. It was always a tipping point in the girl's favor if they could bring in more wealthy clients rather than the average working Joes, and it meant better perks, a greater preference for which clients they did decide to take, and a bigger bonus at the end of each quarter. When Emma had worked for Eve she'd boasted three to four well off clients, and had made a name for herself. Not she managed the rest of them, having retired early enough that she still had some of her life to enjoy. Natasha would've loved that. Maybe not the whole still working shtick, but retiring at thirty-two? Sounded like heaven.

Other than that everything went off without a hitch, and she was back in her room at the end of the hour with a full list of clients, a couple of whom were regulars, and high hopes for the weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Just a heads up: this chapter contains Natasha/Rhodey, Natasha/Maria/Sam, and hinting at Nat/Loki near the ending. Again, not a strict Nat/Loki fic =] Thanks for reading!

* * *

She had one last event before Thor's party, an outing with a long-term client of hers that she had a certain fondness for, and besides this would give her some extra spending money so she could afford to get something new for Thor's party. She deserved it, she figured. She'd been working really hard lately, she owed it to herself. Besides, Rhodey had never taken her to something like _this _before. She'd always been on his arm for more formal situations, military balls and gatherings and the like. This party . . . well, it was special and had whetted her appetite when her agent had explained what it was. Rhodey had his fingers on all the right strings to pull in order to even get them in, and with an exhibition kink a mile wide he was all but jittery as they stood in line. Natasha's hair was pulled up into an elegant knot at the back of her head, her dress was short, black, backless, and he could hardly keep his hands from smoothing over the flat planes of her back. She shot him a coy smile whenever he'd toy with the edges, inching his fingers down, prompting a kiss to be pressed to the corner of his jaw.

"Almost there," she purred as they stepped a little further up into the line. "I promise. Can you wait that long?"

"If I have to, I suppose." He winked, eyes already hooded with lust at the prospect of what was coming up. Natasha had to admit that her gut was twisted in anticipation about as tight as her hair was. Their quickies at the different galas and balls that they'd attended had been fun-a quick tryst in a closet to keep them from being discovered, his breath hot against her throat, her lips pressed tight together to keep herself from shouting at how good he felt as he jack hammered into her, determined to find his own finish as well as her own-but this would be different. They had all the time in the world to watch, and be watched. To find either a fun spot in the couple of rooms that were specifically set aside for those sorts of activities, or else to end up sneaking into a dark corner anyway and having at it. Who would tell them no? Wasn't that why they were all there, after all?

It might even make it all the more fun.

Soon enough they got to the front of the line, Natasha handing over the invitation with a coy smile of her own to the woman checking the guests in. They handed over their belongings, and it was a good thing that Natasha had already checked in with the agency to ensure that everything was going well. Not that there was much to worry about with Rhodey. If anything, she was all the safer with him at her side. It didn't hurt that he wasn't bad to look at.

"Where do you want to go to first?" Natasha asked, voice breathless in his ear, a sure sign that she was ready for him. It wasn't a hard act to put on for him, and already she felt his body quiver with anticipation.

"We've got all night. Why don't we do a lap real quick?" he offered, his hand slipping a little lower, running just over the top of her backside before he pulled away entirely to accept a glass of champagne. Natasha accepted another with a smile, sipping slowly and enjoying the bubbles on the top of her tongue. The whole place was dark, no surprise there, with dimmed lights hanging from the ceilings keeping the corners plenty dark while shedding little light on the darkened couples that milled around the main room, conversing over the quiet, sultry music in the background. Through the speakers a woman crooned a sexy, slow acoustic cover of "Toxic" that made Natasha's head spin, not an easy feat, and she felt her heart jump into her throat. The whole air smelled of sex, but not in a bad sort of way, the pheromones coming off of the sex-crazed group that had assembled only making the mood that much more palpable.

She took another sip of her drink to wet her mouth, though it also added to the heat already spreading through her groin. Well she wasn't going to have a difficult time having a good time for this, though they only had a couple hours at best here. That was what he'd paid for, at least, the money already sitting pretty in her purse.

An idea bursting into her mind, she smiled. This time when she took a sip she pressed herself up and onto her tip toes (not that she needed much help given the four inch stilettos that perfected her outfit) and slotted her lips to Rhodey's. He opened up for her without much prompting, and with ease she shotgunned the drink to him. His whole body shuddered. Amazing. He was a military man, a man who prided himself on his cool temperament, his grace and poise under pressure. Understandably so, and she had a feeling he'd be a force to be reckoned with when he was in his element. But here? Beneath her skilled hands and ministrations? He melted faster than butter in a hot pan, molding his body against hers. She could feel his cock already hard against her thigh, trapped between their bodies, but when she separated her lips from his she turned instead and backed herself up to fit against his long, lean body. Even beneath the suit she could feel his muscled frame, was intimately familiar with the way that his arms could pin her up and against a wall and _hold _her there without much issue. Natasha took pride in her body. She might not have looked it, but when it came to holding her own, to fighting, she could take care of herself, could lift a great deal more than her frame looked like it could. His strength made her flush with excitement.

It had always been one of her great disappointments, with Thor, that she'd not seen just how strong he was when it came to that.

Her hips swayed to the movement, her ass rubbing tantalizingly up against Rhodey's groin, and she felt him stiffen as she slid herself down the length of his body a couple inches, then all the way back up so she could wrap her fingertips around the base of his neck and bring him down for a kiss. She wasn't above grinding shamelessly, didn't care that she could feel eyes on the pair of them, watching how their bodies swayed in time together, even as the song changed and slowed down. She'd always loved dancing, and Rhodey made an excellent partner. Their lips separated when air became scarce, and she was glad to see the haze had further settled over his eyes.

"You ready?" she asked, winding her arms behind her to sling around his neck, her back arching to allow him an excellent view of her breasts straining against the thin black material. She'd forgone the undergarments this time around, assuming it was pretty much moot to wear them when they'd just come right back off, and her nipples had peaked and hardened in her state of arousal.

He nodded, and her fingers threaded with his own with a grin. She'd come prepared, condoms in her purse already, his preferred brand, and so ignored the man with an entire platter filled with different colored, flavored, and designed ones, winking at him instead. Rhodey's hand tightened on hers, and she shot him a wicked grin.

"You're going to enjoy this," she murmured back to him, leaning over to kiss him quickly this time. Already there were a few couples in what had been dubbed the playroom, limbs an assorted, tangled mess, moans and the wet noises of fucking and sucking resounding even with the heady music. It tightened Natasha's throat and quickened her pace. To imitate seclusion each of the raised, padded daises were surrounded in thin, lace curtains that hung from the ceiling, black and red alternating throughout the room. The rounded section that Natasha pulled Rhodey towards had black sheets and red lace around it, a color combination that spoke to her on a very spiritual level, she had to admit. Pulling the lace apart, she tugged Rhodey closer, and maneuvered herself to the side so that he fell backwards, allowing her to crawl up his body. His eyes never left her body as she rucked up her skirt, revealing that she'd forgone panties to his great pleasure. A low groan left his lips, his hands playing across the pale skin of her thighs, cupping her sex with his left hand so that her back arched as he slid one finger easily inside her. She was soaked, admittedly, and it only spurned him to undo the belt and zipper of his dress trousers all the quicker so that within what felt like moments he was sheathed within her, condom having expertly been rolled on. She let out a low, guttural groan as he filled her, shifting her weight so that her knees took the brunt of her weight. It would allow her to rock backwards and forwards, taking advantage of the curve of his dick so that it slid against her g-spot with every motion.

His hand that had cupped her sex shifted to rub her clit, and she nearly bit through her tongue with surprise as his pointer finger slowly worked its way around the bundle of nerves. They'd never had the chance to do this, to take their sweet time and _enjoy _each other's body. She'd only ever known being pressed up against a wall, her nails running down his back as she whispered to him how good he felt. Never a lie, of course, but certainly it was nothing in comparison to the slow burn that began between her legs and spread throughout her whole body.

He whispered her name, and she leaned in closer to brush her lips slowly against his, taking his swollen bottom lip between her teeth and sucking on it until he grunted and thrusted upwards a little faster. Despite the affection she felt towards him, part of her wanted to finish him off early, get the preliminary fun over with and give herself some more time to enjoy the actual party. His refractory period might not be something to write home about, but he always made sure she was pleased, and there was no reason she couldn't go out and enjoy the spoils of the party. Was there? He might even like it.

"I can feel their eyes on us. On you. Fucking me." She leaned in to whisper the words in his ear, pressing a quick kiss to the spot just behind his earlobe. He quivered, and his hands tightened where they'd just fallen on her hips.

"Y-yeah?"

"Mhm. They all wish they were me. Fucking you within an inch of your life, riding your cock. God, Rhodey it feels so _good_," she moaned, the last word split into two syllables as his pace picked up. It wouldn't be much longer. "They know how good of a lover you are. How you fill me. They want to know the same thing, feel what I'm feeling. Everyone's watching y-." Her voice broke off into a shout, orgasm sneaking up on her as his pace quickened and her body tightened around him, breathing stuttered. Where had _that_ come from? Maybe they ought to try taking it slower more often.

Her own orgasm brought his all the closer, Rhodey fucking her through the blissful sleepiness that always followed an amazing orgasm until her blood was high in her cheeks again and her breath grew labored. He was growing sloppy, a quick cascade of "_yes yes yes_" leaving his full lips as she pressed her hands to his chest and started to bounce herself up and down on his dick, allowing him a greater range of motion.

"F-oh shit," he groaned, his hips pressing hard up against hers and stilling there as her own eyes closed, lips parted. She wasn't too far away from her next orgasm, having felt it coil cobra-like in her gut, but decided against taking the task into hand. Why spoil herself the pleasures of having another partner?

Rhodey's hips slowly returned to the soft padded mattress beneath them, his breath coming out in a harsh huff as he slid out of her and turned onto his side to dispose of the condom in a nearby trash can that blended in with the side of the bed. Nat, too, was working to regain her breath. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd felt eyes on them the whole while, and with his distraction she took the opportunity to look around.

Wait. She knew that woman sitting just to the side, the man at her side watching a separate couple. A prickle of horror rose in her gut and out of instinct she considered turning and hiding her face, even if she couldn't figure out how it was she knew that woman. Her hair was black, or else dark brown given the poor lighting, but her blue eyes were so damn familiar, as were the full lips and the small nose.

_Maria Hill, best-selling author. Your favorite author_.

Nat felt her panic swiftly transform into delight, her appetite already whetted by Rhodey and her tussle. Her heart was set on her walking right over, seating herself on the woman's lap, and pressing her lips to her hero's before the woman could say anything else (after all, why were they at such a party if that wouldn't be acceptable? And when in the hell else would she ever get to do that?) but her mind told her that she was still on the job. She had a client, and Rhodey's needs needed to be seen to first. She was a professional.

Personal desires be damned.

So she turned to check on him, smiling to see that he'd laid back and was watching her, his eyes keen. They certainly hadn't missed the way that she'd stiffened when she'd caught sight of Maria, and he took Nat's closest hand in his own, bringing the knuckles to his lips.

"You want to go see her? She's really gorgeous," he noted with a playful, lazy smile, his body boneless.

Nat's eyes hit the ground. Was she so transparent? She needed to work on that. "I don't mind staying with you," she promised him, leaning in to catch his lips in a quick kiss.

"I don't mind if you go over there. Or bring them over here if they're into that sort of thing."

Nat snorted. "We're at an orgy. I think they might be."

He swatted her side with his hand, rolling his eyes, and pushing her forward. Was she the luckiest girl in the world, or what?

* * *

It didn't take much for Natasha to saunter up to the duo, Maria's eyes on her the entire way, and a self assured smile on Natasha's lips. The woman relaxed on the heels of her hands, leaning backwards as her lover kissed down the pale column of her neck, his darker skin a gorgeous contrast to her pale complexion, his hair buzzed short. He looked military in the same way that Rhodey did, but maybe not of the same ranking? Rhodey might've recognized him otherwise, assuming he was seeing much past the post-orgasm haze that had set in.

"Hello." It wasn't Natasha's best line, but being that close to one of her idols . . . well, it was a little breathtaking. "I'm Natasha." She extended a hand and offered her best smile. Maria replicated it, taking her hand and turning it over to kiss the inside of her wrist. Nat's heart leapt.

"Nice to meet you, Natasha. Your lover didn't want to come and say hello, too?" Maria asked, her eyebrows rising slightly as she looked back at where Rhodey was lying down.

"He's a little tired at the moment. Would you two care to join us?" Natasha asked, feeling her pulse beating all the faster at the prospect of being turned down. But the hand that continued to hold her wrist only tightened as the couple shared a meaningful look and the man stood up.

"Sounds like fun. I'm Sam, by the way." He offered her a wide grin, showing off white teeth that caught the light and reminded her more of a wolf's grin than anything else. Her anticipation rocketed.

In no time the pair of them had her sandwiched between them, Rhodey watching on with eager eyes and a shit-eating grin as Sam buried his face between her legs and Natasha finger-fucked Maria until her idol was mewling with pleasure. The burn of Sam's beard against Natasha's inner thighs was strange, but not entirely unfamiliar, further heightening the pleasure and sensitivity of her skin as it burst into gooseflesh. She thought she might wriggle out of her skin she was so overcome with the sensations, the warm heat of Maria around her, the giddy anticipation of Maria's lips against hers, their tongues exploring one another's mouth as Sam explored her cunt, and all the while Rhodey watched on. He wasn't about to get up for another round, but the way his breath had hitched told Natasha she was certainly giving him wanking material for the rest of his life. It was the least she could do when he'd allowed her so much more than she ever could've hoped for.

* * *

She ended up making plans to leave with Maria and Sam at the end of the evening, Rhodey having to end his night out after the two hours he'd paid for were up. They'd made out for a great deal of time near the end, and she was admittedly sorry to see him go, but appreciated everything he'd done for her, especially letting her free to do as she wished. She made a mental note to be extra special good for him the next time he called on her, though her attention was swiftly claimed by Maria pulling her back down onto the dais and seating herself over Nat's face. Nat's fingers claimed their place on Maria's thighs, digging into the soft flesh as Sam seated himself inside her. The sounds of their mouths meeting with a couple of soft, wet smacks told Natasha that the couple were kissing deeply above her, and her own tongue set to discovering everything she could about Maria, seeking out what made her tremble, what pulled her apart, and what made her come the hardest. She wouldn't be happy until she had that information, and she had all night to discover it.

* * *

She couldn't stay long the next morning, waking up with Sam's arm draped around her and Maria's face buried in the crook of her neck. It hurt her heart to think that she had to wriggle her way out of this, to return to the painful reality that the morning brought with it. Still she had a party to get to later that afternoon, and Thor would skin her alive if she didn't go. With that in mind she managed to shimmy her way out from between them, glad that they both seemed to be heavy sleepers. It struck her as she stood at the foot of the bed that she couldn't give them her number, couldn't ask for another night like this. This would be it, unless she and Rhodey went to another one of those parties. But how many of them would there be? And would they both ever go back? Biting her tongue at the prospect, she collected her dress from where it'd been pooled at the bottom of their king-sized bed and tiptoed her way out of their simple bedroom, the carpet soft beneath her feet and the air just outside the room brisk enough to make her shiver. She put her feet through the dress and slipped it up, sliding her arms through the thin straps, so that all she had to do was find her shoes and she could be on her way. She'd shower and deal with her dress and shit when she got home.

Her phone was with her shoes and purse, and she was grateful for that. She didn't remember getting it last night in the haze of Sam slipping his tongue into her mouth, then Maria taking his place after he'd lost his breath. Spying a spare piece of paper on the kitchen table on her way out, though, she couldn't help herself from seeking out a pen and scribbling a goodbye note, thanking them for the amazing night and wishing them all the best. She couldn't have gotten any luckier. That luck put a spring in her step as she headed out, ankles a little wobbly after spending so long in her shoes but the grin on her face seriously genuine and beginning to hurt. She'd slept in too late to head to the stores and grab a new dress for the afternoon, so she'd make do with whatever it was she found in her apartment. It'd all been worth it. Truly, it had. How many people could say that they'd fucked their idols?

Her phone beeped with the reminder that she had to be to Thor's in an hour once she made it back to her apartment, and after shucking off her shoes she hustled up the couple flights of stairs, dodged the awkward looks shot to her by the old lady living one floor down and to the left of her apartment, and locked herself behind the door. She threw it onto the side table along with her purse before working to squirm her way out of her dress and throwing that to the floor in her haste to get to the bathroom. She very much nearly tripped over her own ankles when she tried to stumble towards the shower, turning it on. The water was still lukewarm when she managed to slip herself past the curtain and tugged her hair out of the loose ponytail she didn't remember putting her hair into last night. It must've come out the style she'd put it in before, but at least this way it was easier. This wasn't how she'd imagined the day would start, but oh well, she'd work on it.

* * *

In the end she was only a couple minutes late for the party, the green lace dress a last minute save from the back of her every day closet (kept very much separate from her work clothes), and she was just finishing slipping the black belt beneath her bust as the taxi pulled up outside Thor's condo near the outskirts of the city. He didn't want anywhere he couldn't have a backyard, and so had decided to live a good twenty minutes away from the hubbub of it all. Not that she could blame him, it certainly suited him, but she was sure she'd die without the city breathing beneath her. Her wedges were a great deal more comfortable and supportive than the strappy monster heels of last night, and she pulled out the cab fare plus tip from the black clutch she'd managed to cram her phone, lip gloss, and everything else she practically owned into. She slicked her lips with a quick shine of gloss after getting out of the taxi, ran a hand through her hair, and after reassuring herself with a deep breath turned and headed in the direction of the loud music and the scent of grilling meat.

Thor grinned her with a beer in his hand and a broad, surprised grin on his mouth when she knocked on the door. "Hey! You made it!"

"I'm three minutes late, Thor, of course I made it." Natasha rolled her eyes, allowing him to pull her into a bear hug before he tugged her through the door. The house was far cleaner than the majority of times she'd seen it, and of course she made a comment of it as he led the way towards the kitchen, offering to fix her up a vodka and tonic like she liked. He rolled his head.

"Blame my brother, he's a neat freak."

"Really? He must've inherited your mother's side then. I can't imagine you got any of the good genes," Nat winked, leaning against the kitchen counter as Thor set down his beer and opened the freezer to find the blue bottle of frozen over svedka and set it out along with a tall glass. Ice clinked gently as it filled the cup halfway, followed by the slow cracking as the vodka poured over it. The tonic was mixed last, and swirled around with a spoon-"Wow, you're fancy, huh?" Nat teased-before finally offered to her. She took a sip and hummed appreciatively.

"So, how has everything else been?" Thor asked, leaning against the counter and staring through the window at where the other guests had gathered near the grill, soaking up the sun. She appreciated him keeping her aside, though. It wasn't that she didn't like socializing, or didn't like parties, just that they so rarely saw one another she really didn't feel like fighting for his attention. Not just then. He'd always been better at reading her than she'd given him credit for.

"It's been good. Busy. Sorry I haven't made a bigger effort to get here."

He waved away her apology with a smile, swallowing the sip of the stout he'd taken while she'd thought over her answer. "Hey, life's a bitch and happens to us all. Not a problem."

"Still, I didn't even know that your brother was coming back to town. That's awesome. He's all done with school, then?"

"Yeah." Thor grinned. "He's all settled in and everything. He's working a lot closer with dad this time around. I think the time apart did the pair of them some good."

Nat nodded, taking another slow sip of her drink. She knew there had been some serious bad blood between the pair of them, and Thor had suffered the brunt of the rejection that his brother had given him. Granted, it'd been so long that they'd talked about this she'd-really-forgotten all about it. Thor's face lit up as he caught sight of something just behind Natasha and beckoned whoever it was forward.

"Loki! We were just talking about you," Thor said, voice booming, rocking Nat's heart from her chest at the name. Loki? Talk about an uncommon name for her to have heard-.

Her eyes went wide, and she was so glad that Thor's attention wasn't on her as she whipped around, catching sight of the same Loki who'd tied her to his bed striding closer. His pace faltered for half a moment as he recognition dawned on his face, quickly squashed down by a polite smile. "Only good things, I hope," he said, and his voice brought chills down her spine. Shit.

"Yes, of course," Natasha said, forcing herself to smile. "I don't think Thor's capable of saying a bad thing about you."

"One of his greater faults, I must say," Loki teased, his eyes leaving hers to find Thor's. The blond was none the wiser, his expression softening as he watched Loki extend a hand to take Natasha's. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Loki."

"Nat." Her heart nearly choked her, lodged in her throat and making air difficult to come by. "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, gotta get to the ladies room." She flashed him another smile, one that demanded they talk about . . . this. Soon. The recognition in his eyes told her that he was thinking the exact same. Well, at least there was that. So much for that luck from earlier.


	4. Chapter 4

In the privacy of Thor's bathroom Natasha clutched the edge of the sink until her knuckles turned white and her breathing began to even out. Of course. Why would she expect anything else to happen? Everything else in her life had been going-surprisingly-fine, so why wouldn't that idea get shot to high hell?

And she'd just _had _to wear green, didn't she? She flicked on the faucet, letting the cool water run and dabbing it on the back of her neck to hopefully help with the anxiety growing between her shoulder blades. Breathe, she had to breathe. oxygen deprivation wouldn't do her any good, but it was damn difficult.

But the sooner she got out of the bathroom, the sooner she could confront Loki and tell him to keep from telling Thor anything, particularly keep from letting him know the exact way that they were already acquainted. She didn't think that he'd be so bold, or so obvious to admit to having ordered a call girl, but Thor wasn't an idiot. He'd have noticed that their meeting wasn't entirely genuine, and she was petrified at what sort of corner Loki might get her into if she wasn't there. Her hand reached out to flush the toilet, giving some credibility to her disappearing, before running her hands under the chilled water once more. She'd just fucked her idol, and her idol's lover. If she could get away with that then she could do this. Pasting a smile on her lips, she dried her hands on a nearby towel and headed out.

Neither of the brothers were where she'd left them, and her heart all but bust through her chest as she took to wandering, heading outside towards the crowds that'd gathered in Thor's backyard. She didn't know anyone else, she came to realize, working her way towards the grill where an enormous, golden-eyed man in a low riding pair of jeans and a faded Pink Floyd t-shirt flipped burgers and turned brats. Thor might've gravitated towards the food, she hoped. The man working the grill smiled, his eyes and the depth of his grin telling her that he knew who she was even if she didn't know him. It took her off guard, her mental rolodex going as she worked to figure out whether she'd slept with him too. Nope, nothing. How odd. So how was it he thought he knew her?

A hand pressed to her shoulder and she jumped in surprise. Loki smiled tightly behind her, offering the drink she'd abandoned in her moment of panic. She had half a mind to decline, not having guarded it carefully, but she threw that idea out. She'd been at his mercy, in his house, earlier that week. If he'd wanted to hurt her, drug her, he'd have done it already in the privacy of his home, not there in the middle of a party. Not when he knew that Thor would've looked for her and wondered what had happened.

She supposed it would keep him from ever getting too carried away, now.

"Feeling alright?" he asked, fingertips sliding against hers.

"Yes, of course," she smiled with ease, forcing herself to calm down as she took a small sip. The vodka burned and gave her something else to focus on, anything but the heat of his body in front of her. "Just. I-we. Well, small world."

She was normally so much more articulate than this, and felt her cheeks warming in embarrassment. What was _wrong _with her?

He seemed to feel similarly, however, his eyes not meeting hers as he stared down at his beer in his left hand. His other one stood free at his side, twitching as though with excess energy. Nat took a deeper drink from her glass, trying not to think about what it was that that hand had done to her. What she'd wanted it to do again, so long as he paid for it.

"So, Thor doesn't know. About any of it. I've done everything I can to keep that-what I do, private." She leaned in to murmur it, forcing herself to smile despite her words. It'd look like they were having a conversation this way, rather than her explaining just why she was so freaked out about the way events had turned out.

"Right, of course. I haven't told him what we did. The last thing I want him to know is that I. Well, you understand."

That he'd paid for it, of course. There was some strange amount of shame that went along with it for them as well as for her. She got looked at like a slut, and for men, it seemed as though they weren't able to get it anywhere else but to pay for it. Absurd, really, when she thought about it. Sex was a transaction as similar as getting a latte in the morning, or buying a movie ticket. She was just a great deal more entertaining, and quite a bit more expensive. The ridiculity of it all made her want to snort, but she looked up on him instead. "So. I'm Natasha," she extended a hand, smiling. "A pleasure to meet you, Loki."

"The pleasure is all mine," Loki assured her with an easy grin, lips spreading to show teeth as his gaze darkened and his eyes slipped a little further down towards the neckline of her dress. Ah, well, she supposed he couldn't be blamed for it. It wasn't like he hadn't seen any of this before, was it?

"You're looking at me as though I'm naked in front of you," she reminded him, nudging him with her knee, the soft fabric bringing goosebumps to her exposed legs.

"I wish you were, and we were upstairs. My brother has a lovely bedroom, though I don't know if you've ever been in it before-."

"I have," she said, cheeks flushing as she pulled away. "Once. He was showing me a suit he'd bought to impress Sif. Oh, she's right over there. Excuse me." Her smile was a touch more forced as she pulled herself away from Loki's predatory gaze. Not that it did her much good, able to feel the way he was looking at her on her back as she moved. Damn him, and her bad luck. It would happen like this. Still, she couldn't deny the heat pooling in her gut, the soft panting breath that had her cheeks warming up as well. The slick already gathering between her thighs told her that wearing panties had been a _terrible _idea, that they were likely already soaked, but still she managed to stride towards Sif with a placid grin on her face. She'd only met her the once before, though they'd hit it off famously. Even now Sif pulled her into a quick hug, one that Nat was only too happy to return, careful not to spill her drink on the woman.

"It's great to see you again-and you already met Loki, I see," Sif said with a smile that was tight around the edges, her brown eyes flicking back to look at where Nat had left the other man. Oh. What was _that _all about?

She pretended not to notice. It was far easier that way, and wanted to divulge what it was that had happened between the two of them. Sif wasn't a difficult woman to get along with, so if they were at odds she had to wonder what it was that caused it.

"Yeah, Thor introduced us. He's really polite."

"Yes, he certainly can be when he sets his mind to it." Sif nodded, though the pursing of her lips told Nat that that wasn't all there was to it. Still, she didn't want to push too much too quickly. Nat took another sip of her drink, holding the liquid in her mouth for a half moment to give herself something to do, before swallowing and deciding on the best course of action.

"So, you've known him for a long time, have you?" It wouldn't hurt to get to know him a little better, would it? To learn more about him? She didn't think so. It meant she could guess his needs and desires more accurately if she knew more about him, what his preferences were. And call her curious, she just couldn't help it. He was interesting. Far more so than most of her clients. Too bad he was the brother of her best friend, and it might be the last time he ever visited her. Somehow, she thought that no matter how interested Loki was, she doubted he'd want to take the risk of his brother finding out, especially not if they had work together or something like that.

Even so. She still wanted to know.

Sif nodded, polishing off her own bottle of beer before setting it down on one of the empty tables and motioning for Nat to follow her. They moved away from the party, Sif taking her towards the side of the backyard where a couple of lawn chairs had been set up. The two women sat down, able to survey the party and still look as though they were a part of it, but with the noise and the music they'd have complete confidentiality to talk about whatever it was they wanted. Clever. Nat was grateful for it.

"We all grew up together, Thor, Loki, and I, so yeah I know Loki pretty well. He's spoiled rotten. Frigga, their mother you know, loves both of her boys very much, but Loki and his mother have always had this weird . . . really strong connection. Guess she felt bad for Odin favoring Thor so much." Sif rolled her eyes. "But he used to get into trouble at school. He was a dick growing up. Real son of a bitch." She scowled, crossing her legs and finding the man with her hard gaze. Nat kept quiet. "Cut my hair when we were kids because he didn't like that I was getting so much attention from Thor, I think. He's needy as hell. I can't say whether or not that's changed, but knowing him I doubt it."

Well, the dominant tendencies sort of made sense, she supposed. "He likes to be in control of what people do?"

"Exactly. He wasn't big on the idea that Thor might not need him is my guess. So he took matters into his own hands. He got kicked out of boarding school twice when he and Thor were separated, then I guess everything was fine after that. I didn't see them for a good portion of that time, my parents were moving us here, to New York. After that I guess they had a falling out of some sort. Thor won't talk about it." She sighed, her lips pursed and her gaze fixating on her folded up hands in her lap. Nat pressed a hand to her shoulder, rubbing the muscle there gently. "But if he's back, my guess is it's not going to be exactly the best thing for Thor. Loki might be working for Odin, doesn't mean that he's entirely working for _just _his father, if you get my drift. He's always had his own agenda."

"Really?" Natasha asked, pursing her lips and wondering just what she was supposed to take away from that. A good thing he was a client then, and she didn't get into relationships with clients. Still, her mind whirled with the possibilities that could mean if he decided to call on her again. If he'd thought she was worth every penny before, he wouldn't know what would hit him the second time around. Control freak, possessive, needing reassurance and comfort judging by the relationship with his brother and mother, that she could all work with. And rich? She wouldn't have any problems securing tips that would pay her rent for months in advance.

She was getting ahead of herself, and she forced herself to take a break. This, this was why she didn't mix pleasure with business intentionally. She got too far into her own head, started seeing everyone as a target, as a client to be wooed and seduced. It was difficult to turn off, but with Loki there it was even more difficult.

Thor's booming voice caught her attention, breaking her off from her train of thought as she pressed a smile to her lips to greet the man as he came up to the pair of them. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to," he said to them both, pressing a quick kiss to Sif's cheek. Sif beamed.

"We've been here the whole while you fool," she teased, snagging the beer from his fingertips and taking a sip of it. Her face pulled into a grimace. "Ugh. You have shit taste in beer."

Thor's face pulled into a look of offense. "I beg to differ, my lady love," he teased. "This is the finest beer the Netherlands can produce. Your reaction hurts, Sif."

Both girls dissolved into laughter, and Thor was quick to join them, the noise echoing like thunder between them. "You're both having a good time, then? Nat, did you get to chat a little with Loki?"

Natasha nodded, and Sif subtly turned her face, uninterested. "I did. He seems nice, Thor."

The smile that filled his face made her chest ache. He'd really missed Loki, she was guessing. It would be nice to have someone currently looking for your attention and affection, she mused, and to go without it for so long would be hard, and a welcome relief when they return. "He is. I'm glad you think so. Perhaps you can help Sif realize that the past is in the past. I'm sure she's been telling you about the trouble we all used to get into as children."

"The trouble the both of _you _got us into," she reminded him with a snort.

"Wasn't I always present to get you back out of it, too?"

Ugh, they were too cute, their eyes lighting up whenever they connected with one another. It was going to make Nat sick if she stayed for too long, and with a quiet murmur she excused herself to get another drink. "I'll see you around, yeah Thor?" She patted him on the shoulder, and gave a quick wiggle of her fingers in goodbye to Sif. She wasn't quite sure where to go after that, recognizing a few of Thor's friends from the last time she'd been to one of his parties. It'd been awhile, of course, but Fandral was just as flirtatious as ever. The pair of them fell into a comfortable conversation, Nat leaning against the side of Thor's house as she watched Fandral's eyes fall to her lips every so often. His body was turned in towards her as well, and the longer the talked the more dilated his pupils became. She half expected him to take her right there if she'd have offered it.

"Fandral, you're drooling," a soft voice came from just behind Nat. She hadn't heard Loki's footsteps coming up from behind her, and so she started at the sudden intrusion, whipping around to look at him. If she'd thought Fandral's eyes were dark, Loki's irises had nearly been swallowed entirely by his pupils. Interesting. "And how unfair it is that you're monopolizing all of Natasha's time with your pining and lack of follow-through."

Fandral's attention snapped at the intrusion, his eyes glinting as he looked up at Loki. There was a sense of familiarity between them as well that didn't surprise Natasha. She ought to have guessed that they had a history the same as Sif and Loki had, if the waves of hostility coming off of the blond had anything to do with it.

Fandral forced himself to smile, though the tension in his fists said a different story. "You can't hardly blame me, can you? She's as interesting as she is lovely."

Loki gave a laugh that might've taken Natasha aback if he hadn't spoken before she could get another word in. "High praise coming from someone who knows all about beauty, yet little about intelligence."

Well this was getting dull. Nat struggled not to roll her eyes at Loki's tauntings, excusing herself from between them. If they wanted to duke it out then she wasn't going to stick around for the aftermath. Honestly. What'd he think she was going to do, be impressed?

He followed right after her, however, and cupped her upper forearm with his right hand. "Can I have a private word with you, inside?" he asked, voice sultry and breath warm against the shell of her ear. She fought off shivers, staring up at him.

"Depends. Are you going to pick pointless fights with whoever we end up coming across?" She tipped her head to the side, the smug smile on her face telling him she wasn't having any of his shit right then. She had been having a great conversation with Fandral before he'd butted in, but she couldn't deny the heated interest that his request had sparked.

His face fell. He hadn't been expecting that sort of reaction. No doubt he'd thought he was saving her from Fandral's advances. Natasha folded her arms across her chest, watching as his gaze dipped down to the swell of her breasts before catching her gaze once more. He at least looked contrite. "No. I'm sorry, that was classless of me. But please, a word."

A private word with a former client, at the house of her best friend who was having a party. Not the smartest of ideas. She shouldn't have even considered it, should've stuck close to Thor to avoid any awkward situations like this. Should've shot him down, told him that she didn't think that was a good idea.

Should've, but didn't. She had to focus to keep up with his long strides, cursing how much taller he was than her as they stepped back inside, past the screen door and through the kitchen that it had attached onto. Up the stairs, towards Thor's bedroom, then taking a sudden left at the very last minute into the spare room she'd stayed in one time when she'd passed out from having drank too much her third week in the city.

He backed her up against the door, closing it behind her and cupping both sides of her face with his own hands so he could devour her whole. She groaned with surprise, lips opening enough that he could slide his tongue into her mouth, seeking out the familiar crevices that would make her moan and bring her skin to boil beneath his fingertips. She could hardly breathe with him pressed so close against her, her hands finding his hips and the belt loops of his pants. Sliding her fingers into them, she tugged him closer, felt him pressed hard against her hip and whimpered into the kiss.

When they broke apart for want of oxygen he was pink-faced and black-eyed, lips swollen and gaze focused on her own plump, red lips. His brow furrowed when his gaze snapped back up to hers. "I couldn't help myself. Watching him flirt with you-. You're killing me, Natasha."

She didn't have much else to say back to that, her mouth still open as she sucked in lungful after lungful of clean air. "We're not-Loki, you can't be jealous." She finally managed to whisper, voice hoarse. The words might not have even made it to his ears before his lips descended on her throat, nipping all the way down. His hands cupped her breasts from the outside of the dress and she couldn't stop the broken moan from leaving her lips even if she'd wanted to. It didn't keep her from wrapping her wrists around his own and pushing them aside. That got his attention, at least, drawing himself up and away from her neck to look down at her. He made no effort to cover his confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"You're-Loki. You're a client. I can't." She wanted to, _oh _she wanted to with just about every muscle in her body, every inch of her. He was damn good at what he did to her body, so good it nearly fooled her into just going with the flow, just sucking it up and saying to hell with the rules but-.

'A free call girl is one who finds herself in business and out of her home,' Emma had told her once she'd started working for her, peering at the redhead from over her glass of twelve-hundred dollar champagne. 'You have goods, but giving them away for free helps no one in the long run. Eventually they start to expect it, start to get angry when you don't give it up to them. The last thing you want is an angry client, let alone an angry, horny man on your ass. You will not like where that gets you.'

And she was right. Natasha ran a business of her own, employed herself so to speak. She couldn't just-.

But Loki was already reaching into the pocket of his slacks and pulling the same wallet she'd seen before, tugging out a fistful of twenties, thumbing through to count out a cool two-hundred, and offering it up. "Enough?"

She blinked rapidly, accepting the money with blessedly steady hands to count through it herself. Undoing the zipper of her clutch she shoved the bills in, tossed it to the side, and had her hands on his belt buckle in a matter of seconds. Yep. That'd do it.

He groaned when she massaged him through the fabric, but wouldn't let her go to her knees to blow him, shaking his head vigorously when she tried. "Turn around for me," he said, voice a low groan. She melted as his hands ran over her shoulders, trailing towards the zipper of her dress and sliding it down quickly. The dress fell to the floor, Nat looked at him over her shoulder, appreciative of the transfixed stare he had on when he caught sight of the black thong she'd picked out to wear. She'd opted out of a bra given the strapless dress. Her wedges thudded gently against the floor as she turned around and stepped out of her dress, once more keeping her hands at her sides so he could see just what it was his money had bought. He looked as though his brain had short circuited, so Nat took him by the wrist and brought his hands up to her breasts, palming them with her fingers over his, leaning in to moan softly in his ear and nibble on the soft lobe. That got his attention. He surged against her, pressing her back against the door once again. Nimble fingers skated over the skin of her hips, sliding down the thin, silk straps of her thong so she could step out of that as well, while he undid the rest of his trousers and let them pool at his feet. He hardly had to prompt her to wrap her legs around his waist, the head of his cock pressed to her soaked slit. He groaned, and the sound vibrated between them, at the sensation.

"Fuck, you're already so wet for me, aren't you?" he murmured, as though he couldn't feel it. She moaned anyway, jilting her hips forward to try and angle the head of his cock so she could slide down it, and with his hand on the base he helped her along. It'd only been a week, but she still had to admit that she had missed this. The connection, the spark between them, was ridiculous.

Had he not been a client, had she been interested in a relationship, something else might've come from it.

That idea was ridiculous, though, and she forced it from her head as she took him to the hilt. Her back arched, head tipping back against the wall as she scrambled to hold onto the top of the door frame, nails digging into the wood. Loki pressed the lock on the door, fucking into her with a speed that suggested he knew that they didn't have all day for foreplay. His words, however, said otherwise. "I want you with me all the time, Natasha. I want you in my office, wet and ready so I can bend you over my desk and fuck you. I want you spread out atop it with my head between your legs, eating you out until you lose your voice. I want you in my home, trussed up and ready for me, aching and soaked in anticipation." He dropped his head to her breast, sucking on the nipple hard enough that she'd have shouted if she hadn't released the door frame to clamp her hand over her mouth and stifle the noise. All the while his cock hit home, brushing hard against her g-spot as though he'd come with a built-in manual for how to best please her.

Hell, she wouldn't have put it past him to have remembered from the last time. Her lips had fallen open, soft huffs of air leaving her mouth. Her left hand curled around the nape of his neck, whimpers leaving her lips as she tightened her grip on his hips with her legs, heels digging into the base of his spine. It spurred him on all the more. "God above, no one makes me feel the way you do, Nat-_asha_," he groaned the last two syllables of her name and it only fanned the flames in her stomach all the higher. "Tell me how good it feels. Want to hear you cry out for me."

"C-can't be too loud. Your brother," Nat said quickly, though the words were broken around moans of pleasure, her back slammed up against the door once again, before cool air hit her sweat-covered skin. They were moving, her right hand fell from where she'd clutched the door frame and Loki was whirling them around to press her back against the down comforter of the bed. Her hips were angled so that they were just falling off, and she hitched herself up higher, rolling her hips in sync with his. His thrusts deepened, and his jaw fell slack as his pupils left only a small ring of green left in his eyes. His black hair curled in front of his face, and she brought a hand up to brush it out of the way, digging her fingertips into the back of his neck.

"Fuck me like you own me, Loki," she muttered, drawing out his name, ignoring the quiet voice in her head telling her this? This was a bad idea. "C'mon. You're so possessive, fucking show-it-fuck."

Her mind was telling her that _that_ specific type of goading? Not smart. Playing to his desires, yes, but not the best of ideas when she was supposed to be bloody _quiet_. A low growl had left the pit of his gut and he'd held tight to her hips as he slammed back up against her. The obscene sound of flesh against flesh resounded all the louder, and she had to turn her head to the side to bite into her shoulder to keep herself quiet, amazed that she didn't break through the skin with how hard she was biting down. It was better than their first time, her hips cocked at just the right angle that he was filling her to the brim with every thrust, hitting every spot she craved stimulated. When his thumb joined in, rubbing frantic circles around her clit, she came apart in his hands. His mouth slamming atop hers swallowed the broken sobs of pleasure that left her lips, nowhere near the fake bullshit that she had to resort to with some of her clients. Oh no. This was one-hundred percent authentic, and her body screamed for more as her high clouded her brain. His pace was growing erratic, and she could taste sweat on her lips when he pulled away to press his forehead to hers. She reached a hand to run her fingernails down his back, digging into the flesh of his shoulder blades and dragging it down. It set him off like a firework, his teeth gnashed together as his brow furrowed and she could feel him coming inside her. Something deep inside her purred at the job well done, and another reminded her that the next time she wanted to get frisky at a party, she better start bringing condoms. Even if it'd been arranged before that he didn't need them, that she was on birth control and he was clean, she was an idiot for not having insisted on it this time. That privilege didn't come cheap, because on the offhand chance that someone was lying to her, or something had happened in between interludes, it wouldn't be a cheap and easy fix on her end.

She shut those thoughts up as quickly as she could, a broken groan leaving her when he pulled his softening cock from within her, his hands massaging her tender slit even as she hissed quietly and shifted away from his touch. She was so sensitive, but he still managed to plunge two fingers into her and pull a moan out of her anyway. Fingers covered in the mix of his and her come, he painted the inside of her thighs with it, rubbing it into her skin, before repeating the process and this time feeding her his fingers. She accepted it with a soft hum, far too blissed out to really care about the salt on her tongue or the way that taste would stay in her mouth no matter what she ate or drank later on. She figured that was the point.

"If I asked you not to put your panties back on, would you?" he asked, a shy smile slipping over his lips that didn't fit the fire behind his eyes at all. "I rather like the idea of my come dripping out of you as you walk and talk with everyone else."

Oh God, what had she gotten into?

* * *

A/N: Well this took me a million and one days to get out. Thank you so much for reading! Hope it was worth it!


	5. Chapter 5

As was Loki's request she kept from cleaning herself up completely, figuring it really didn't bother her, and if it got him off then alright then. She could deal with that. Leaving the room was a difficulty, neither of them able to really keep their hands off of one another. Loki was far worse at it, but to Natasha's credit she kept kissing him, stepping on her toes to reach his lips and his throat. It was ridiculous, she'd never felt this way about a client and it was fucking dangerous that she was, but there was something heady about the way he looked at her as she tugged her dress back on with the evidence of their fucking drying between her thighs. She'd have a good soak that evening in her tub while the money he'd paid to do it began to marinate in her savings account. Win win situation, really.

"Where does this leave us?" Loki's hand curled around her bicep just before she could leave. She turned to look at him, pushing stray pieces of hair from her face. "As far as a professional relationship goes. You're friends with my brother and all."

"I think we can act civilly towards one another around him without letting on what we've done." She reached out to squeeze his wrist. A small warning. His grip was bordering on painful, as though he didn't want to let her go. "Any other sort of relationship or story can be brokered at another time, if that's what you want." But was she comfortable with that? If he wanted to present it to Thor as the pair of them being together then she'd have to deal with the repercussions of how Thor would look at her differently once that transaction ended. They all ended, after all. Sooner or later they'd find an actual relationship, and where would that leave their relationship? Where would that leave she and Thor?

"Should I make an appointment with your office to work out the details with you? Or would I go to your agent?"

So many questions. Her head spun, trying to gauge just how long they'd spent in that room. Would Thor be looking for them? Her foot tapped nervously against the floor.

"Make an appointment with me, then I'll run it by Emma. Look, we've gotta split. We'll talk about it later, after the weekend," she promised and let herself smile once again before backing up, preparing to slip out. His eyes narrowed, pupils widening the same way a cat's did when it locked onto prey.

"I'll speak to you Monday, then."

"You certainly will. I'll see you around, Loki."

"And you, Natasha."

He let her disappear out the door, then, and as she regained her breath with the door between them she was grateful he was giving her enough time to make her appearances before he made his own. Food was being served back down at the party, the man at the grill loading up plates filled with the same meat she'd smelled sizzling once she'd gotten there. Her stomach growled as she made her way closer, picking up a paper plate and thanking him as she loaded up a brat with all the fixings. It was mindless, a blessing really, even if his amber gaze followed her as she walked towards the chair she'd taken up beside Sif half a lifetime ago.

Loki made his appearance halfway into her brat, Thor catching him at the door and frowning when he noticed the red marks just at the back of his neck. Shit. She tried not to stare as Loki waved his brother's attentions away, excusing something or other as the reasoning as he moved his black hair to cover the marks again. It was all Nat could do not to flush, forcing herself to think of something-anything-other than the way that she felt eyes turn onto her as soon as she turned away.

Mercifully, her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she about jumped out of her skin in gratitude to answer it. Emma.

"Hello?" she asked after swallowing her mouthful of food.

"Natasha, you've got a meeting with a Mr. Laufeyson Monday afternoon. He requested that you meet him for lunch at the Hilton, formal-wear, with a happy ending in a suite he'll provide."

Wow. He worked fast, didn't he? "Certainly, I've got nothing else planned?" She asked, surprised. She didn't usually have such an open schedule.

"You did, but I'm going to reschedule. It was with a regular, he'll understand."

Nat bit on the inside of her cheek. That wasn't good business, and she didn't want any of her regulars to think that she was suddenly too busy to see them. "Why don't we just push him back to a different time?"

"Mr. Laufeyson expressed that he wished to settle the matter as soon as possible. At the price he's offering you sugar? You want to take this. Trust me."

Nat's eyes snapped up towards where Loki still stood, now conversing beside a portly redhead man with an impressive beard. Was that what was going to happen from now on? He waved his money in front of her face and she came at his beck and call? Literally?

"Would you rather I tell him no?" Emma's voice was cool, displeased at Natasha's lack of excitement.

Natasha looked away just before Loki's gaze could meet hers, stomach twisting. "No. I'll do it."

"Good girl. I'll figure everything else out. You have a pleasant weekend."

"You too, Emma." She clicked off and shoved the phone back into her pocket, stomach too tight to eat anything else. She hated wasting the food, but anything else was going to make her throw up. A shadow stretching across her extended legs had her head snapping up to find Thor smiling down at her.

"Hey, I've hardly seen you all day," he said, moving to take the seat beside her, and adding another nail to her already guilt-laced coffin, sealing her further in. She placed the half full plate on the ground and turned to give him her whole attention, reaching out to take his forearm.

"Well, I'm here now. Great party."

"You think so?" His smile told her that he appreciated her saying it, and the guilt only got worse. It wasn't often enough that she pulled away from work to get to see him, and now that Loki was one of her clients she wasn't sure how that was going to work, not until they managed to talk about it and figure it out. She wasn't about to let her relationship with Thor deteriorate because of it, no matter what. Loki would have to accept that. She'd make sure he understood that. There wasn't a price on her friendship with Thor, and if it meant she'd take less clients to make up for it then that was something she could live with.

"Yeah, I do. So how's it going with your dad and you, now that Loki's back?" She was eager to get the topic as far away from her as possible, crossing her legs and feeling the still slick skin sliding with ease. She hated how it made her heart stutter, just a little.

A soft snort left Thor's lips as he took a sip from his beer, a different brand than what he'd had before. He'd always been more adventurous than she was when it came to drinks, and she could appreciate that the same way that he understood how sticking with a familiar was her way of doing things. "Well, not sure if you want all the family drama."

That made her grin, baring her teeth at the promise of a good story. "Oh no, please don't leave anything out. I'm dying, my own life is so painfully drama free," she pulled a grimace that had him gently punching her upper arm. "But seriously. I want to hear all of it."

Thor shook his head, unable to hide his grin as he turned to face her as much as he could in his chair. There was an odd glint in his eye, one that said he was working out just what he did want to tell her, and what he'd plan on leaving out. He was too good of a guy, mentally going over what it was that would likely show his brother in the most favorable light. If Loki was needy and an attention whore, Thor was overly kind, almost too considerate when it came to sparing the people he cared most about.

"He and my father have never seen eye to eye, least of all when they were living together. I told you that I thought things were going to go better now that they'd had some time apart?" He reminded her, eyebrows rising. Nat nodded, she remembered it and thought it was weird for him to have even hinted at now that she thought of it. "It's a fragile, tenuous sort of better. There's a lot of pain there between them. He's my adopted brother, and he found that out just before he went off to school. One of the reasons he'd been determined to get so far away from us, I think." He broke off and she watched as his posture bent inwards, as though he was collapsing under the weight of worse times. She extended a hand, stroking the side of his shoulder gently, humming quietly as she thought it over.

"He's got a different last name than you, makes sense. And he just started going by it?"

That got Thor's attention, his gaze snapping back over towards her in confusion. She hadn't realized she was putting two and two together when she'd only been given one plus one, and nearly swallowed her tongue with surprise. Fuck. "Sif mentioned something about that. Loki Laufeyson. You're Odinson."

"Yeah, an old tradition, from back home. We take the name of our father and embrace it, legally change our last name to reflect where we've come from." Thor expounded, and Natasha barely let herself relax. That was close. "It was a blow to dad, and mother, when he made the change, but he hardly talked to us when he was gone at school. Just sort of disappeared off the edge of the world. So now that he's back, Odin's trying to make up for it I think. But they don't . . . Loki won't tell me, but there's so much there that needs to be addressed." He shook his head, and Natasha pressed her fingertips into the tension just beneath his shoulder blade, where he carried most of his weight and stress. She ignored the heat of eyes on the pair of them, only able to guess who it would've been that would stare that intently at her giving anyone else as much attention as she was giving Thor. She hoped he had more than enough sense to not intervene this time.

"Give him time, I'm sure he'll give you a chance to bring it up," Nat said, her voice soft, sympathetic. She didn't like seeing him weighed down like this, didn't like the fact that he beat himself up for something that wasn't his fault. She supposed if he'd taken it upon himself to be there for Loki, no matter what, it wasn't that much of a surprise, but that was when they were younger according to Sif. They were men now, adults, with responsibilities of their own that needed to be addressed. Thor couldn't be looking out for his younger brother as often as he used to, and as much as she hated to make assumptions, she thought it was fair to guess that Loki wouldn't be one to immediately return the favor. It wasn't his place to, she thought, but it would break Thor if he wasn't able to rely on his brother the way he so obviously needed to.

"It might take time," she went on when he didn't say anything in return. "But you two will get there. Blood or not, you're brothers. Loki wouldn't have come today to support you if he didn't still care for you."

Thor looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and his guilt had her swallowing her tongue.

"Unless you think there's something else?" She pulled her hand back, folding her arms over her chest again. What the hell was that look supposed to mean?

"I might have told him that a couple of my more attractive lady friends were going to be here-I didn't mention you in particular!" He paused as Natasha's jaw dropped, before amending: "Often."

"You're ridiculous."

"I just want you to be happy like me and Sif are! And I thought you and Loki would have a great deal in common, you two are similar."

Hah. If by similar he meant they liked sneaking away for quick fucks, they understood the value of a business transaction, and they were oddly compatible at having sex? Yeah, she supposed they were cut from the same damn cloth. She pulled her fury in, disguising it as a throaty laugh and shaking her head to keep from having to stare at him.

"Thor, I'm happy being single."

"I know you are. And I'm happy for your independence. I just thought-."

"I know. I know."

She didn't want to hear it, didn't want him to justify any sort of furthering the public relationship that Loki and she would have. If Loki heard that he had his brother's blessing . . . Shit. Monday was going to be a strange day. "You already told Loki I was painfully single, didn't you?"

"It might've slipped out."

Great. That was her cue to leave. For a few more minutes the pair carried on an emptier iteration of the conversation they'd had a million times before, about how she wasn't looking for some sort of relationship, and though she appreciated his help she really didn't want it, before excusing herself to get back home. The look in his eyes told her that he was hurt by her choosing to leave so quickly, but she couldn't breathe, couldn't focus on what it was that was happening when she was feeling so damn setup. If it wasn't one thing it had to be another, right? The Universe was having a great laugh at her, and she'd make it up to Thor another day but right then she needed to get out. He at least offered to get her cab, though Loki's money stuffed in her purse was more than enough to cover her fee back home and then some, and waited with her for it to show up as well. Just as the yellow car was pulling up near his drive, Thor pulled her into a hug and his arms wrapped tight around her waist.

"Don't be a stranger, Nat. There's no pressure to do anything with Loki. I'll tell him it was my mistake to have said anything."

He was trying, he really was, and she smiled at that. "Thanks, Thor. It's just that I'm not relationship material. You can blame it on me, don't worsen anything between you both. I'm a big girl, I can take it."

He laughed, body trembling with the sound, before opening the door for her and slipping enough money to the driver for her trip and tip. As he closed the door Nat caught sight of Loki in the living room window watching her go. She couldn't read his expression but felt her stomach flip either way. She had so much damn damage control to do.

* * *

A/N: Not all that long of a chapter, and no porn DD: but the next one will be chock-full of it, so I hope that'll more than make up for the lack of it here. Thanks so much for reading, and all the comments have been so amazing, thank you so much!


	6. Chapter 6

Monday found her fidgeting in the bar at the Midtown Hilton, her jacket pulled close over her shoulders, though the cut out panels on the top of the dress were doing little to help keep her warm. The concept bar was kept chilled, and though she'd appreciated the gorgeous ice carvings that helped beat the city heat and decorated the room, the chill was a little _too _reminiscent of past winters that she didn't care to think of. Not now. She'd changed her life around, had something going for her for once, but the water just wasn't cutting it when all she wanted to do was bolt out of there as soon as she could. She kept tapping at the screen of her phone, watching the minutes meander by. Emma had confirmed that she was to meet him here at half past noon, and that he'd paid for two hours of her time, which left her a paltry forty-five minutes between this and her next appointment. With traffic that was going to be pushing it, but she'd insisted on fitting as many people into her day as possible, not wanting to reschedule everyone. She'd just have to make sure that Loki was happy and satisfied before the two hour mark hit. Leaving it up to chance like this was dangerous, and it made her fingernails click a little harder on the ice bar she sat at.

"Is this seat taken?"

She could hear the grin in the man's voice and tensed a little before pushing a polite smile onto her lips and turned to see an unfamiliar man pulling the seat beside Natasha aside without her even saying anything. "Ah, no, I suppose not." Not that it mattered, he'd already sat down. Great.

The man called over the bartender, ordering one of the specialty drinks, and ordering a second of "whatever the pretty lady is drinking." His wink told her that he thought he was doing her a favor, while the bartender just looked at her, likely wondering whether or not she wanted another water.

"I'm alright, actually. It's just ice water," she admitted with a laugh that the man shared. "Thank you though. I'm flattered."

"No problem. Sure I can't get you something stronger?"

She bit on her tongue, eyelashes fanning on her cheeks as she looked down and tapped the screen of her phone again. Loki was a minute late. "No, I'm alright. I'm actually meeting a friend."

"Friends are good," he said, the hint going so far over his head it was amazing her words didn't crash into the ceiling. "I'm Jonathan."

His hand extended, and she took it after setting down her drink. "Pleasure Jonathan. I'm Natasha."

"Lovely name. You Russian?" He grinned, thanking the bartender and slipping him a twenty. That hardly constituted a tip, given how much the drinks here were. As if she needed another reason to want to get as far away from him as possible. She was used to men looking at her as though they were picturing her naked, most of them got that wish, but the way his eyes looked her over was just plain violating. She felt dirty, and her gut was telling her to get the hell away from him.

"Some distant part of me, I think." Her voice was acid as she turned away to pick up her glass again, tapping on the phone's surface. Two minutes late. Where the fuck was he? And how much longer did she have to sit there to listen to him before she could call him out on his bullshit attitude?

Far too long, as it turned out. Jonathan wasn't getting the hint. She really shouldn't have been surprised, and considered just spelling it out for him that no, she really wasn't interested in anything he had to offer. Even if he'd been to die for handsome, sweet, and loaded, she was there on business. She didn't mix the two, ever. But she suffered in silence as two minutes became three, became five.

Should she even wait any longer? She'd heard more than enough about his difficult job working as a vice, vice secretary to the CFO of some enormous company he promised she'd never heard of in her life, and her tongue was going to bleed pretty soon if she didn't stop biting it to keep from telling him to kindly fuck off. She'd thought glaring daggers at him from over the top of her glass of water would've been enough, that he'd have realized it when she turned away from him entirely and started tapping on her phone, sending out a message to Emma to double check that she'd gotten the time right, when there was finally a cleared throat coming behind that had Natasha's heart jolting with excitement.

"Apologies, darling," Loki's smooth voice came from behind her, and she twisted to face him so quickly it was a miracle she didn't snap her neck. His eyes were dark as he looked from Jonathan to Natasha, then back to Jonathan's dropped mouth.

"You really were waiting on someone," the man said, looking over at Nat as though he'd expected her to be lying to him. She struggled not to roll her eyes. Seriously?

"Loki Laufeyson. Of Odinson Industries and Security." Loki's smile was tight as he extended his hand. "Thank you for chatting up my girlfriend, but we've got plans and she's less than interested in blowing them off for you."

Nat hopped down from her seat before Jonathan could say anything else, her fingers interlacing with Loki's as he tugged her away from the bar and out into the main commons, towards one of the restaurants she supposed.

Or not. He led her away from the scent of fresh flatbreads being baked, the pleasant hum of chattering business men and women settling down to lunches on their breaks, and guided her towards the elevators.

"Loki," she said, her voice quiet. His grip on her hand tightened and her heart shot into her throat. "I wasn't soliciting him."

"I know." His voice was dark, and he only looked at her when they'd stopped at the doors to the elevator. "I could see that in the way he looked at you. I'm sorry I was late. It was unavoidable, but believe me, would that I could've been here on time."

"It's fine. I thought we were having lunch?" she looked back at where they'd just walked from. She hadn't bothered to eat anything before, having been in a rush herself, but there was business to do. She'd have to eat something on the run in between jobs. Ugh, she hated doing that.

"We'll order room service, whatever you want love," he said as the doors opened. It was mercifully empty, and he stepped briskly inside, Natasha following right after. He could hardly wait until the doors shut, having just pressed the button for the top floor, before he peeled the jacket off of her, and backed her up against the wall, crowding her. He kissed her hard, sucking on her bottom lip as her knees weakened and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling. He had no problem, hoisting her up into his arms and leaving kisses down her throat.

"Loki-wait," she groaned even as her back arched. "Public. You've got a persona, an image. Can't be seen-." She didn't want to get photographed in his arms, making out in an elevator. That would be the end of any sort of understanding with Thor, she was sure, and Emma would be less than thrilled at the publicity.

He let loose a growl that reverberated the both of them, and released her just before the elevator came to a slow, steady halt. She straightened her skirt and ran a couple fingers through her hair as he picked up her jacket and folded it over his arms, hiding the erection straining at the front of his black slacks. Two men were waiting at the doors of the elevator, and Loki smiled as he and Nat stepped out first, ignoring the appraising looks that they were getting. Whoops.

The doors had shut and they'd made it half a dozen steps away when Nat started to snicker. She bit her bottom lip, looking up at Loki, who was grinning from ear to ear as he led her to the end of the hall and the door to their suite.

"Good thinking," he complimented her, dipping down to kiss the top of her head. "I just couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry."

"I just don't want to get you into trouble for making out with girls in elevators." They'd stick with that. That possessive streak was something she needed to look out for. Her pulse fluttered at the reminder of how she'd goaded him when they were in Thor's spare bedroom, but this was something entirely different. This time she wasn't in control, and she didn't like that much at all.

He fumbled with his pocket, pulling out key cars and murmuring to her that he'd picked them up last night, that he'd had the room on a redundant reservation since he'd met her. "I had to see you again, I knew I did. What happened at my brother's wasn't . . . it wasn't ideal. It was excellent," he assured her as he stepped inside the suite and waited for her to follow after, the door slipping shut behind them with an ominous click. "But I shouldn't have lost control of myself like that. So, I thought-if we could come to some arrangement, that this could be our rendezvous place."

What was wrong with his apartment, she wondered. He'd had no problem with it before, and she'd rather liked his silk sheets and the restraints he'd already had waiting for her, but he was the customer. He was always right, right? She took a slow look around the room, the suite entrance sprawling into a grand living room with an amazing view of the city from its all-glass walls. Natasha's nude pumps clicked on the linoleum before the carpeting swallowed the noise whole. She came to stop in front of one of the leather couches, smiling as she eased herself down onto it, the cool fabric pressing against her bared legs as she swung one over the other. Her skirt rode up with it, and she watched Loki's eyes follow the navy fabric as it exposed more of her legs. "I believe you and I have business to discuss, Mr. Laufeyson," she said, pitching her voice to a low, sultry pseudo-porn level that would've been completed had there been cheesy 70s jazz playing in the background. It broke his gaze away from her legs and brought a laugh to his lips, so that was a plus. He toed off his shoes before walking closer, tossing her navy jacket to the side before removing his own. Nat was surprised when he didn't sit beside her, as she'd anticipated, but rather opposite her, putting the black and grey marble coffee table between them.

"Yes, I'd say we do," he murmured. "I have a proposition for you. Sunday made me think, quite a lot, about what was happening between us-."

The shrill tone of her business phone cut him off. Natasha winced, apologizing as she stood to fish it out of her jacket pocket where she'd stored it after he'd dragged her out of the bar. Work, checking in on her. Again she repeated the needed phrase to Darcy this time, who wished her luck with a grin in her voice before clicking off. Loki had pursed his lips at the interruption, and she hastened to stow the phone back away before taking her seat once more, respecting his desire for space. Odd, given what they were there to do, but oh well.

"I figured that was a one time thing, after you established I wasn't a psycho," he said, his legs widening as he leaned forward on his knees.

Natasha shook her head. "Every time. You can't be too careful, you know?"

"I suppose. Better safe than sorry, as they say."

"Exactly." She smiled, though she wasn't sure how to take the way his eyes had flashed at the disturbance. "But I'm so sorry about the interruption. You were thinking, after Sunday?"

"I want you to be mine, to the point of near exclusivity." He was done beating around the bush, and the words made her lean back in her seat, his proposition making air very difficult to find. "I don't mind you having a small handful of other clients, but I want there to be more than just an occasional dalliance between you and I." He'd scooted forward even as she'd shifted backwards, and she tried not to flush under the heat of his stare. "I like you a great deal, Natasha, and we mesh well together. Better than I thought we might, and Sunday only proved that. So I thought, if I could offer you up enough to reimburse you for the lost business, you might consider being my . . . I can't think of a word other than mistress, but you're much more than that."

Swallowing was difficult, and thinking was impossible. She blinked rapidly as she tried to take in what he was offering, tried to ignore the slow, clutching panic that was beginning to claw its way into her chest and scratch at her ribcage. Exclusivity had never been her strong point, she tended to get a little bored with too much of the same, and true Loki wasn't like anyone she'd met before so there was the potential for things to keep her going for longer but-.

"What if you get bored with me?" she asked, finally finding her voice after two failed attempts to speak. "I mean, how long of a time frame are we looking at?"

His smile told her that he found her self deprecation adorable, and he leaned back against the couch now that he'd gotten what he'd wanted to say off his chest. She wished she had the same luxury. "We could give it a trial run. Say, three months. And I'm not asking for your whole time, just three, four days a week depending on my schedule. You'll have complete control over what happens the rest of the time-if you decide you wish to take clients, or not. I'll make it worth your while if the latter."

Three days a week, four weeks a month, three months. Thirty-six days with him, at minimum, having sex or doing . . . whatever else it was that he wanted to do, she supposed. There were worse ways to make a living. She reminded herself of that, of the way that she hated having to hustle. And hadn't she been hoping that he'd request her again? So wasn't this just a step in the right direction, except accelerated quite a lot?

"It's a big decision, I understand and appreciate that." He was speaking again, and she had to snap herself out of her thoughts to pay attention, lest she miss something vital. "Give it a week or so to think about. I have a few days of vacation coming up, and I thought you might like to come with me to the South of France, where I go to holiday." We could try it out then, see if we're actually as compatible as I believe we are? And then after that you can make a decision."

She wished it didn't sound so final. France was a long ways away, and she'd always wanted to go back to Europe when she had the money to.

"Of course your time will be paid for there, while you're with me, as well as all your own expenses paid. I want you to enjoy yourself, and see what it is I have to offer you. I have a great deal of resources at my disposal, Natasha. I want you to say yes, so if there's anything else I can do to make this work, please don't hesitate to ask."

But was this moving too quickly? They'd fucked twice, and yes it'd been _stellar _both times, absolutely fantastic, but she needed to keep a damn level head.

"What about Thor?"

Again, his lips pursed and his expression soured slightly. "Can't I just tell him that we're dating?"

No. Absolutely not. "And if we're not as compatible as you say we are, then it just looks as though I broke up with you. Or, at worst, I used you." She shook her head. "If he sees you buying everything for me, he's going to wonder just what it is I'm doing. He's not stupid."

Loki scoffed, as though to say that he didn't quite believe that. Natasha ignored it. "You can't tell him. I mean it."

"He's going to find out sooner or later."

"I'd rather chance it and hope for later." It would give her more time to think up an alibi. "Loki, Thor's friendship means everything to me. He's just about all I have. I need your word before I agree to do anything else that he won't find out until the time is appropriate." And God only knew when that would be.

His eyes stared straight through her, she swore, looking past the hard demands and hopefully seeing just how much this meant to her. He broke contact first, nodding.

"As you say. I've never been one to resist lying to my brother, anyway." He smirked, as though it didn't mean anything, but only then did she relax. Good. "So you'll do it, then?"

"We'll try France, then I'll figure out an answer." That was the smart thing to do, right? Tried it before she-or he-decided to buy it? "But . . . you're sure about this? It's not-I'm not cheap. None of this is going to be inexpensive."

Loki gave a graceful one-shoulder shrug with the indifference common to someone who'd grown up with a great deal of money. "I've said it before, Natasha." He stood up, and the distance between them minimized in a grand total of three seconds, Loki shifting the coffee table out of the way so he could hike the skirt of her dress up and kiss the inside of her thighs. Her breath stuttered. "You're worth every. Damn. Penny."

His fingers found the waistband of her panties, violet silk, and slid them down past her knees, looping one of her legs through the hole before spreading her legs wide and slipping them over his shoulders. There was no getting another word in edgewise, Natasha hardly having time to suck in a quick breath before he pressed the flat of his tongue to her soaked slit, taking his time to lick her from bottom to top, before swirling his tongue around her clit. She groaned, unafraid of being loud but unable to help wondering whether or not she'd end up seeing the bedroom this time around, or if they'd just stick to the living room. The open windows set her stomach lurching with the excitement of being so open about his head right between her legs, and she tightened her thighs around his face for the briefest of moments. The movement prompted him to lick deeper into her, nose bumping her clit as he worked so that fireworks crept from her inner thighs to her stomach and chest, gripping her lungs and squeezing painfully. As if she hadn't had trouble breathing before.

"I could stay between your thighs forever," he muttered against her slick cunt, voice breaking before he dove back in for more. The slightest pressure from his teeth on her clit brought stars to her vision and her back bowed as her hips rolled with the startings of an orgasm. He pulled away just as she was reaching down to tug on his hair, to grind her slit against his face, and she whimpered in the agony of being left on the edge as he drew himself up to his full height. He'd undone his belt and the fly of his trousers, cock dribbling precome as it bobbed in front of her face. She didn't have to ask what he wanted before she leaned closer and drew her tongue slowly up the underside, stroking him a couple times with her hand and watching his face crumple in pleasure. He was a little longer and thicker than the average man, so she'd have to be careful to keep her teeth from coming anywhere near his cock, and with that in mind drew him past her lips, tongue swirling around the tip before she pressed it flat to the bottom of her mouth as she took him in inch by inch. The pressure against the underside of his cock made him tremble, and when she managed to take him entirely into her mouth, feeling her throat undulate with the conscious decision to not gag, he moved forward to grip either side of her head. She solidified herself with hands on his thighs, preparing herself for what was coming next. Sure enough, he pulled out from her entirely, before shoving himself back past her full lips, groaning at the return of the heat and pressure of her mouth, fucking her throat as she ignored the aching in her jaw and stared up at him. There was something beautiful about the way that his control slipped entirely from his grasp as soon as his cock was anywhere near her. She'd known businessmen who kept one bloody, stoic face the whole time they'd fucked, even as she'd pulled out every trick in the book to try and get them to crack. Some people just couldn't let go of that die hard determination to keep themselves in check, and though his emotions were often on his sleeve, at least when she'd seen him, she hadn't been sure that it'd be that way when they fucked.

She was glad it wasn't. She could tell by the pucker in his brow that he was getting closer to his own orgasm, and had half a mind to tap out just to even the odds. This wasn't about her pleasure, though. This was about his.

But his self control must've been better than she'd thought. He buried himself in her throat once more, her nose pressed up against the wiry curls at his groin, her mouth slurping around his cock, before he pulled himself out of her entirely and turned her around. With his hand on her back, he eased her onto her knees on the couch, her ass raised to just the right level as he pulled her skirt up and smacked her ass. The resounding sound of his palm against the soft tissue of her backside made her whine. The noise had hardly left her throat before he slid into her all the way to the hilt, his groan shaky as he pulled out, then pushed back in, slower this time. She clenched around him, feeling every inch as it entered her and groaning, her head turning back so she could kiss him deeply. He moaned into her lips, his thrusts deep and slow, the both of them reveling in the sensation of him filling her so completely.

His fingers scrambled with the zipper on the back of her dress, pulling it down and hastening to pull her arms free with it before his hands palmed her breasts, massaging the tissue and squeezing her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers until she was shouting and clamping down all the harder on him. She'd started to meet his every thrust, her vision growing white and her skin heating up as she felt herself getting closer, and _oh fuck _she was almost there. She broke the kiss to moan his name, few other words making sense as he released her breasts in favor of putting his hands on her hips, physically slamming her back onto his cock. Every motion had her digging her fingertips into the leather, leaving half moon indents in the expensive furniture as he muttered for her to come. Demanded it.

Two thrusts later and she was arching back up against him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she practically bent herself in half to hold onto him. As her vision went white, he was afforded the best look at her breasts, covered in a thin layer of sweat, nipples hard and breasts bouncing as his thrusts started to speed up. That was perfect, and she whimpered as he started to pick up speed, finally chasing his own orgasm. He pressed himself to the root inside her as he came, shouting in her ear as she clenched around him once more, smiling in lazy satisfaction. Her bones were made of jell-o, and it was only because he guided her lips to his did she manage to kiss him slowly.

With slow, sweat slicked motions, he pulled out from within her and kissed her forehead as he laid her down on the couch. It was ridiculously comfortable, and she thought about taking a quick nap as Loki stepped out of the trousers that'd pooled around his ankles and moved to the bathroom. He came back with a warm towel, wiping the sweat from the valley of her breasts, easing the soft towel over her breasts next, before it moved up her neck. She purred in pleasure, eyes slitted as she looked over at him.

"How did you get to be so nice?" she asked, voice slow and fucked out, watching as he kissed his way over her shoulders and eased her arms back into the top of her dress. They'd zip it back up later.. "I mean, I should be taking care of you. I'm the professional."

"To be fair, if you were able to do that after I was done with you, then I haven't fulfilled you as well," Loki murmured, voice soft and breath warm against her skin as he smiled down at her. "Now, let's order food, shall we? I'm certain you're famished."

* * *

She got out a half hour early, which was amazing as he could hardly keep his hands off of her after she'd started regaining control of her bones and muscles again. His money was secured within her purse, her tip stuffed into a separate compartment so that she didn't mix it in with everything else, along with the keycard to the suite. He'd promised he'd keep it on reserve for the pair of them. After all, she needed to see the rest of the place, right?

Her phone rang, Emma on the other line, and Nat sighed as she picked up. "You know, you're lucky I got done early-."

"Mr. Laufeyson just called me, wanted to pull up a contract for a long-term agreement between you two." Emma's grin was all but visible through the phone, her words twisted with her glee. "Well done, Natasha."

She really had to talk to him about how quickly he moved. This was getting a little creepy.

"So, we'll need to sit down and reevaluate which clients you're deciding to keep on, and which we'll have to pass on to someone else, and who your recommendations would be for each one that you're getting rid of," Emma carried on, as though nothing had changed. "You have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with a Steve Rogers? Darcy said you'd begged her for him before? He's bringing along a guest this time."

Oh, so he had come back! She smiled to hear that. "I want him. He's sweet."

"He's not paying much." Emma's really needed to work on being less obvious with how she felt about things. Really. The disdain was as palpable as her glee.

"With Loki I don't have to care about the money as much. I like him, I want him."

"Alright, I'll keep him on schedule. You're still meeting with your 2:45?"

"I'm coming back right now to clean up and change. Be there in twenty."

"Good girl."

The phone clicked off before anything else could be said, only to vibrate with a text a couple minutes later. Loki's name stared up at her. He must've programmed his number into her phone when she was eating. She tried to ignore the shiver that raced down at her spine. Another thing to talk to him about. They needed to lay down some serious ground rules.

LOKI: _Had a great time. Can't wait to see you again._

She'd chalk it up to enthusiasm, and replied in the same vein that she'd had a great time, pushing down the strange sensation that that was what _couples _did, and they were certainly, sure as hell, not a couple. She shoved the phone back into her purse and quickened her pace, managing to get a taxi and trying her best not to brood over it for the rest of the day.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading and commenting! It really makes my day to know that you guys are enjoying this as much as I am writing it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This chapter contains a threesome between Steve/Nat/Bucky, with quite a bit of Steve/Bucky, as well as Clint and Nat snuggle time.

* * *

Tuesday meant a meeting with Emma that Natasha was dreading. Truthfully, she felt like she was being ungrateful, though it had long since stopped bothering her. Emma had taken Natasha in despite Nat not having any references, any formal training, excessive education, or much experience other than the slew of lovers she'd had back in Russia. She had no reason to hire Natasha, except that she saw potential she said, and knew the red hair would fetch a pretty enough penny even if Nat was just a pretty face. The rest could be learned, Emma had assured her.

That had been years ago, though, and now Natasha was just eager to spend what time with her clients she had, and that was all she wanted as far as work went.

More than once the idea had struck her about finding a different agency, but she wasn't so sure about that. And with Loki being thrown into the mix, it was only going to get more crazy.

'Don't think like that,' she chided herself, hoisting the waistband of her black pleather leggings up as she picked up her pace crossing the street to the agency. Her nerves had been so bad that she'd actually gotten up early enough to walk to work, rather than resorting to taking a cab, and her feet were screaming at her for it. Used to high heels she might have been, but breaking in a new pair of heeled sandals on New York streets was not her brightest idea. Still, she hastened to tighten her grip on her bag as she made it up to the sidewalk, then door. A new girl sat behind the counter desk, long brown hair tossed over her shoulder while Darcy sat facing her just to the side. She reached out a hand to rest on the new girl's shoulder, and Nat recognized the laugh the girl was giving as one she used to flirt with.

"Oh, Miss? Do you have an appointment?" The brunette looked over hastily from where her eyes had been fixed on Darcy's full lips, and Natasha arched a brow. Darcy looked over and shook her head.

"Jane, that's Natasha Romanov. She's one of our girls. One of the best off from what I understand, if Emma's not blowing smoke out her ass." Darcy winked, and Jane flushed at her mistake, hastening to murmur an apology.

Nat shook her head, smiling. "Will you let her know I'm on my way up?"

"Certainly Ms. Romanov, sorry-."

"First day?"

Jane nodded, her fingers already shaking as she picked up the receiver. Darcy looked about ready to eat her alive. "Just a temp position while I finish my Doctorate."

"Third Doctorate," Darcy amended. Jane's flush deepened.

"Don't worry, it gets easier," Nat promised, her smile kind and understanding. They all started out like that, she supposed. Fresh eyed, terrified of making a mistake, as Emma's wrath was the stuff of legends. "Be good to her, Darcy."

"I intend to be." Darcy was all but purring, and Jane shot her a quick, appreciative smile before dialing Emma's extension. She could just be heard explaining that Natasha was coming up as the elevator doors closed Nat inside. Only then did Nat relax, releasing the air that'd been tightening her chest and making her light headed. Right, negotiation mode first, then her appointment with Steve and his friend. She could do that, couldn't she?

The doors opened, elevator having stopped at the top floor, before she'd thought up a decent response. All of the big offices were up here, as though they could actually survey over everyone. Smack dab at the end of the hall of offices was Emma's, the largest of all for the biggest ego of the business. The thought made Natasha smile in spite of herself, and she knocked a couple times on the door before she was told to enter.

Emma's eyes were glued to the screen of her computer, fingers typing a mile a minute on the keyboard in front of her before she paused to look up at Nat. "Have a seat, I'm just finishing this up for you to go over."

Hello to her, too. Nat let the door close behind her as she made her way closer and took the rigid chair just opposite Emma. The whole room made Nat want to pull a coat on, everything done up in whites and silvers. The white queen, that was what Emma was called. She certainly took the nickname to heart. The bright white clouds visible through her nearly ceiling to floor windows only made everything look brighter, made the white business suit pants, blazer, and trademark white bustier that Emma favored look even more crisp than normal. Did she keep it half a thousand degrees cooler than it ought to be, too? Nat tried not be so obvious as she pulled her own black blazer tighter over her own white blouse.

There was silence apart from the clacking of Emma's sharp nails on the keyboard, and Natasha kept her eyes focused on the clouds spreading their way across the city's morning sky. It looked so peaceful, so relaxed where they were, an enormous difference from the chaos that went on just below. Was she being smart about this business venture, if that was what she could call it? Not for the first time she wished she could've talked to Thor about it, or maybe someone else who had some sort of experience in this situation. Emma wasn't exactly an impartial judge when she was making a percentage of Natasha's commission, and the other girls would tell her to skip it so they could try and get him to make the same offer for them. That left her on her lonesome, and as independent as she prided herself in being, lying in bed and spending hours going over the possibilities that came with Loki's offer was getting old.

The shift of the printer turning on made Natasha jump as she was tugged out of her head, looking over to the sheets being spat out on the tray. Her cheeks burned as she avidly avoided Emma's smirk.

"A little preoccupied?"

"You could say that," Natasha said, chewing the inside of her cheek until it was ragged. "So, that's the contract that Loki wanted me to look over?"

"Yes. Well, it's an amended version of our own long-term contracts. He said you both discussed what his wants were on Monday and came to the conclusions written up on here," she said simply, taking the stack of papers and handing them up to Natasha, the sheets still warm from the printer. "Go over it and if there are any additions or anything he'd gotten incorrect we'll fix them and call him up to ensure that he okays them as well."

Great. She wished she'd have grabbed something more to eat that morning, or at least some water from downstairs, her mouth dry and uncomfortable. "He told you I was going to be out of the country with him next week? For just a few days."

"I already have your appointments rearranged and rescheduled, just in case. Depending on which clients you wish to keep," Emma told her, though she sounded distracted. Sure enough, when Nat looked up over the top of the contract she was already on her phone, tapping away as though she wasn't sitting there to discuss Natasha's future with this company. "And I've already gotten his credit card filed away for your time. Just waiting on the transaction to go through, then it'll be transfered over to your account."

That simple, then. She was glad to know at least no one else was worried about it. "What if it doesn't go well?" she asked quietly. "Am I going to owe him anything?"

The sound of Emma's nails tapping on her phone stopped abruptly, and when Natasha looked up at her once again there was a strange look of sympathy twisting Emma's face. "No. You won't. But you will be subjected to questions as to why, and he'll be asked to fill out a form discussing just what happened and why the contract was terminated, as will you. Assuming there's no outstanding charges-no abuse, on either of your behalfs-then everything will end amicably. He'll get a full refund for whatever time it is that wasn't used, and you'll keep what you made in the mean time. That's on the eighth page, I believe."

Natasha flipped through a little, looking at it and nodding. Right. "Okay." As she kept flipping through the words started to blur together, and though she tried to force herself to stick it out she only skimmed it by the time she'd gotten halfway through. She'd look it over that night over a pint of Ben and Jerry's, where she could at least get some distance from the craziness that her professional life was careening towards.

"He compromised to three days a week?" Natasha reiterated. "That I'll stay there with him?"

"I told him to start with three, and if it ends up working out we'll reevaluate your abilities and your schedule to fit in another day." Emma leaned back in her chair, fingers crossed in her lap as Nat put off the other pages of the contract and signed it, before handing it over once more. It looked good, and if she found anything seriously wrong with it then she'd take it up with Loki, she decided. He was reasonable, all men were, especially when her lips were wrapped around their cock. Emma thanked her as she took it back and ran off a copy of it for Natasha, pulling up the scheduling program on her computer in the mean time. Natasha's schedule, as it stood, was empty save for her appointment that afternoon and the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays that would be permanently blocked off.

Emma arched a brow. "You're still dead set on keeping your clients?"

Natasha nodded. "I don't want to be reliant on him alone. What if he's busy one week and doesn't have time for me because of some merger or something? I want to make sure to have a backup plan, just in case."

And if this all went tits up, she wanted a solid base of clients to help her get by until she could build her list up once more. Emma didn't look impressed, shrugging one of her shoulders, but pulled up the list of Natasha's regulars and others who'd been interested in having her for a few hours.

"You already said you wanted to keep Rogers. I assume you want Rhodes as well?" Emma asked, biting her bottom lip. Rhodes was generally a weekend sort of man, so finding a different time with him would be difficult.

"Can I talk to him to explain the situation to him? Why I can't do weekends anymore?"

"No," Emma said curtly. "You cannot call a client to impress upon them that another client is more important than they are. You'll be lucky if he wants you at all after that."

Natasha bit back the retort that Emma was going to do the _exact _same thing, and instead resigned herself to talking to him when they managed to reschedule. "Right. I'll drop Rumlow." She barely kept herself from shuddering. He'd been a regular for upwards of two months, ex-Navy SEAL with a penchant for getting a little too . . . into their sessions. She had a hard time getting him to listen to her safewording out, and though she'd worked with it and adapted, more than capable of handling her own when it came to it, the only reason he was still in her book was because he threw more than enough money Emma's way and that Natasha was strong enough to take it. Now? She didn't have to.

Emma seemed to understand and sighed. "Think we ought to just tell him we can't accept his behavior anymore?"

Yes, that would've been appropriate the first time it happened. Now, a civil lawsuit seemed more apt. But Natasha simply nodded. She squinted at the list once again. "Murdock I want to keep. He's my lawyer, and I'd like him to be on my good side." She never knew when that might come in handy.

"Planning on breaking your contract?" Emma asked, voice dry.

"No."

"Good." She added him in anyway. "There was a new request this week, just an hour session. The other girls passed on him. Clint Barton. No records of him ever coming here before, no referrals, just out of the blue. He's only paying base minimum. Not sure what sort of a tip you'll get from him."

"What's he looking for?"

Emma rolled to the side of her desk, thumbing through a file until she found his and opened it. "Non-sexual behavior. Cuddles." She snorted, turning the file Natasha's way so she could see what he'd scribbled down. "The other girls didn't want to waste their time."

Well, that made her decision easy then, didn't it? "I'll take him. Might be a nice relaxer after a long week."

They nixed five other of her clients, none of them sticking out much in her mind, and kept one more, a referral by the name of Pietro. He'd expressed interest, having seen her picture online, and they were waiting to set up a time and day for them to have their first meeting. He was some sort of athlete, according to Emma's files on him, and Nat couldn't deny the smile it put on her face to know that she was still popular enough to be requested specifically without having had to be sampled first.

In the end she only had an hour to prepare for Steve and his companion, whoever it was that he'd plucked up the courage to invite with him. She had a half guess as to who it would be, and if so was glad he was at least taking a step in the right direction in acting on his attraction. Emma seemed pleased with the turnout of the meeting, and told her that she'd get the new schedule to Natasha as soon as she'd made contact with everyone to discuss timing. It was all Nat could ask for, she supposed, and come to expect from Emma, and she left with her copy of the contract in hand and a strange sense of reassurance in her gut. She could make this work. Emma seemed to think so at least. This was a good idea, this was completely doable.

It had to be.

* * *

As before, she made sure to dress casually this time around for meeting Steve, no extra make up, nothing too over the top. She didn't know what his friend would be expecting, but if Steve wasn't into the whole sex-pot shtick, she doubted the other man would be. She'd perched on the edge of the bed, bare feet skimming the carpet lightly as she pulled herself into the right mindset. Her chest expanded with a deep breath, her eyes closing for a good half a second before there came a knock on the door. Her lips parted in a smile as she called for whomever it was to come in, standing slowly when Steve walked in. He was as adorable as ever, and completely dwarfed by his companion. "Steve, great to see you again. Who's the handsome man you brought with you?" Nat asked, winking at the pair of them. Steve's face had already grown red, the tips of his ears absolutely burning as the brunette at his side shot Natasha an appreciative look.

"Nat, this is Bucky, he's the guy who set us up the first time," Steve said, his eyes meeting hers. The light in them confirmed to her just what she'd suspected. _Ah. _"So I thought, well, the least I could do was return the favor."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Bucky said, stepping a little closer and extending his hand. Nat gave him a quick, quizzical smile, before shaking his hand. That wasn't the typical response she got.

"The pleasure is mine, Bucky." Interesting name. She hoped it was a nickname, and couldn't help but wonder how it was he'd gotten it. "Can I get you two gentlemen a refreshment? I've got beer, water, soda?" Champagne, but somehow she didn't think it really fit that situation.

Steve declined while Bucky accepted a beer from the mini fridge in the corner of the room, Nat going as far as to undo it for him as she padded back over with it. Steve hardly brought his eyes up from his shoes the whole time, rubbing his heel into the carpet. Nat, feeling her stomach drop for the poor guy, reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

"So, how can I help you two out?" she asked, her face easy and soft when he looked up at her, quizzical. He was really adorable. "Anything in particular you're feeling up to?"

Steve's face only reddened, and Bucky gave a quiet laugh, nudging his best friend. "C'mon Stevie, spit it out. Not nice to keep the lady waiting."

Steve kicked Bucky's shin, though it didn't look like his heart was anywhere near it. "Shaddup, jerk."

Bucky shrugged, taking another swallow of his beer, but Nat had seen the way that his eyes had lingered on Steve for a moment or two longer than strictly necessary. She smiled, and threaded her fingers with Steve's.

"I've got an idea. Might want to get a little more comfortable, though. You two are going to make me feel underdressed." She only had on a tank top and a pair of shorts, after all. Simple, and effective enough to get Bucky's eyes on her backside as she led Steve towards the bed. She looked back at Buck, who hadn't moved, his eyes watching as Nat had begun to shimmy out of her shorts, revealing a pair of simple cotton undies, light pink with lace around the edges. Her eyes caught on the dog tags glinting just under his jacket as he shrugged out of it, and beckoned him closer.

"C'mon soldier," she purred, Steve throwing his shirt off to the side hastily, the sound of his buckle being undone filling the room over the muffled footsteps of Bucky stepping closer. Natasha tugged him closer by the belt loops of his jeans, untucking the white shirt from the waist band, kissing her way up his lower torso and enjoying the definition of muscle she found there. Mm, soldier indeed. Behind her, she felt Steve's hands begin to push her hair to the other side of her neck, his sweet lips tracing the column of muscle with his tongue and teeth. Natasha watched through her lashes as Bucky's gaze zeroed in on his friend, the man's breath speeding up and coming in quicker pants than warranted given what she was doing, working to tug off his belt and jeans, letting them slip to the ground and pool around his ankles. When he bent to struggle and squirm out of them, Nat turned her face to catch Steve's lips with her own. He groaned, tongue slipping into her mouth without hesitation, opening up to her with a nervous excitement that had her easing her hands over his bared pecs, feeling his rapid pulse beneath the skin. Poor guy was about to have heart failure if it kept up this way. Bucky joined them after having divested himself of the rest of his clothing, delving between Natasha's thighs and mouthing at her through her panties. She whimpered, hips bucking forward out of reflex, as he managed to tug down the edges of her panties and toss them to the ground. As Steve's mouth moved further south, Natasha's tank top having somehow disappeared in the thick of things, his lips fastening around the nipple of her right breast, and Bucky buried his face between her legs, eating her out with an eagerness she didn't often find. Her soft groans turned to full bodied moans that slipped from her lips, her mouth tipping backwards as his nose nudged her clit, struggling to push his tongue even deeper inside of her given the angle. She didn't need to be prompted further to tip her hips upwards, allowing him a better angle that had her biting her bottom lip to keep from shouting.

Steve had just pulled away from her breast, looking down at the brunette going to town on Nat's slit, when Nat smirked. One of her legs rubbed Bucky's side, delighting in the way he shuddered at the touch. "Bucky, I think Steve wants a taste." Her right hand came out to stroke the top of his head, and it was only then that he unlatched. His mouth and chin were both covered in her slick, and the sight made her lose her breath as he began to shift out of the way. All it took was one nudge of Steve with her left hand, as he shifted closer, and the two bumped into one another, mouths scant centimeters away.

Oh _come on_.

She was about to just tell them to get it over with when Bucky leaned in, his tongue sliding past Steve's parted lips, the surprise having stolen the breath from Steve's lungs as his best friend moved a hand to cradle the back of his head and _devoured _him in front of Natasha. Well, if she wasn't turned on already.

She couldn't help but slip one hand between her thighs, delighting in the way that Steve's hips canted forward as Bucky reached down with his free hand to grip his cock lightly, giving it a couple tentative strokes. Nat's forefinger circled her clit, eyes hooded, as she watched Bucky ease Steve into orgasm, their movements as familiar as if they'd been born to fuck each other. It was glorious to behold, the stretches of Steve's pale skin pressed tight up against Bucky's tanned body, their movements languid as if they could read one another's thoughts. Steve's moans were even sweeter as Bucky swallowed them whole, and Nat came at the same time that Steve did, though she was careful to keep quiet about it, not wanting to ruin their moment.

They hardly even seemed to notice that she was there, Steve boneless and doe-eyed as he pushed Bucky onto his back and crawled closer to take his already hard cock into his mouth. It didn't take long, and Nat tried to commit every muscle shift and groan shared between the pair of them to memory as Bucky came with a loud shout, filling Steve's mouth much to the latter's delight. He moaned with a passion and adoration that could never be faked (and Nat would know) as he swallowed him completely. His tongue flicked out, swirling around the sensitive tip as Bucky hissed, and his hazy eyes fell on Nat before he went stiff.

"Shit, sorry-."

She shook her head, smiling and waving away his apologies. "Hey, I enjoyed myself as much as you two did, I promise. You two are amazing together." Truly, she didn't see many people who just managed to click like they did. She caught sight of Steve's more than pleased smile, his cheeks burning as he wiped his mouth, and Nat couldn't help but lean over and kiss him gently, tasting Bucky on his lips.

"Thanks," he murmured before they pulled away.

"Any time," she assured him.

* * *

She offered them their money back, but Steve had adamantly insisted that he wasn't going to take a penny away from what he'd paid her. The grin on his face and glow of his general person told her that he'd never been happier, and as the pair had left she'd watched as Bucky's hand found Steve's, their fingers threading together. Too cute, really. She found herself smiling even after they'd left the room, the door clicking shut behind them, and she turned to start the clean up. They'd done a remarkable job at keeping her bed clean, for the most part. She'd just need to switch over comforters-hell, she could probably flip it if she was feeling lazy . . . but no. She stripped the old one off and tossed it down the laundry chute all the way at the edge of her room, cleverly painted to match the rest of the wall so as not to be so obvious as to what it is. There was an extra comforter that she tugged from the closet, spreading the inky black blanket over the still tucked in sheets just beneath, at least giving it the impression that this bed was slept in. That wasn't an entire lie, at least. She'd napped in it between clients before. It hadn't been her best of days, but she'd had a late night the one just previous, and she'd never done it before. The bed didn't sleep as well as the one she had back home anyway.

She headed to the bathroom to clean herself up before her next client came through, and eased herself into a pair of sweatpants and loose tank top, not going for the cute girl next door that she'd used for Steve and Bucky, but rather a good college friend. At least she assumed, she'd never been.

Maybe she could, now that she had a steadier source of income. If she ever did get sick of taking clients, or could take night classes on the days that she wasn't with Loki. He wouldn't tell her no, surely, being an educated man himself he'd understand the value of a good college education.

She shook her head to clear that thought from her head. Too far ahead of time, way too far. They didn't even know how it was going to go the first time around. After France, after their three months, then they'd see. She couldn't get too ahead of herself, or else she'd end up disappointed. Her stomach twisted as she moved to the bed, grabbing a discarded magazine and thumbing through it absently as she worked to distract herself. For the most part it worked, the ridiculous excuse for sex tips making her snort as she tore out some of her favorites and put them beside the bed. Part of her wanted to start a collection, along with informational reasons why these were all _terrible _ideas. Well, most of them. One or two she might take to heart the more she thought about it. But still, for the most part? Dreadful. She'd be out of the job if she ever used her teeth anywhere near a client's cock, let alone stuck an ice cube up his ass by surprise. Who wanted that? A little reach around was all well and good every once and awhile, but to actually try and do that? Definitely out of the job. She reached over to the pen just beside her bed and circled that one before ripping it out. Too good to pass up.

She was just tearing out another page of goodies ("_Buy a candle from a Pure Romance party and drip some of the wax on his nipples without telling him it won't burn. The surprise always gets my boyfriend more than the actual sensation!"_) when there came another knock on the door. She slid the magazine shut and shoved it into the drawer next to her bed, tousling her hair a little before half sitting up. "Come in."

He was her second new guy of the day, Clint Barton, and of all the men she'd met in her line of work-stock brokers, millionaires with boring wives or annoying divorcees, humble electricians and wait staff at the Met-he was the one she was most curious to meet. He'd intentionally sought out a call girl center to ask for a cuddle buddy. She had to wonder what sort of guy he'd actually be.

He was well built by the look of his broad shoulders hidden beneath a purple shirt, and the tape patching up his nose told her he'd come out on the wrong end of a brawl, or else a flight of stairs. His sandy hair was a mess atop his head, but his eyes were nice enough. He fiddled with something in his ear, an aid that was flesh colored and turned all the way up now, as the door closed behind him.

"You're Nat, right?" he asked, toeing off his shoes at the door so he wouldn't track anything in. Kind of him to think of that. She nodded, sitting up the rest of the way and inviting him forward with her smile.

"Nat I am. Clint Barton?"

"Last I checked that's what the State keeps telling me."

She let herself laugh quietly as he took a seat beside her, his thigh barely touching hers, hands folded in his lap in front of him. "Well it's wonderful to meet you Clint. How can I help you? Your file said no sexual contact."

He gave a one-shouldered shrug, one telling her she still had the right guy, but didn't give her much to go off of other than that.

"You're looking for physical touch, then? Do you mind if I ask why you don't go to a masseuse? I'm sure it'll feel better." She had half a mind to see one before she went with Loki, help her limber up. Not that she usually needed the assistance, but it might do her some good.

"It's not just touch it's . . . well, it's hard to explain." He sighed, face pulled in a look that told her he'd explained it one too many times before. So, instead, she reached out to take his hand and squeeze it, feeling his warm palm weighing her own down.

"Show me, then?"

He shot her a hint of a smile as he shucked off his belt and tossed it to the side, his shirt following suit. If she'd thought the tape on the nose had been an indicator of a past altercation, what was she supposed to make of the scars that covered his chest? She wanted to run her fingers down the spiderwebs they built, ask for the stories behind every one of them, but kept quiet instead. She let him guide her back, murmuring if she minded that he took off her tank top. She shook her head, and was surprised to be the bigger spoon for the first time in her life as he curled up in front of her. She wrapped an arm around his waist, and a leg around his hip, and he practically purred with happiness at the contact of her skin against his. Only then, the pair of them so close that she could feel his heart beat in her chest, did he really relax.

"I don't like sex," he muttered. "But I miss the physical sensation of being held. So I figured rather than struggle to find someone who'll take me, as is, no clearance price, I might as well see who'll do it for money."

Her eyes, which had been half closed, snapped open. Oh, poor guy. "Well trust me, I'll never turn you down," she murmured. "But we'll renegotiate your pricing. You shouldn't have to pay for sex if you're not getting it."

He laughed but didn't say anything about it. The knots in his back disappeared, and he held the arm that had wrapped around his waist tightly. When they woke up at the end of his session, the both of them yawning and stretching languidly, Nat swore she felt better than she had in years. Maybe he was on to something.

* * *

A/N: Alright, so T-Minus 8 or so days until I move states, which means I have no idea when I'll be able to update this next. Your comments are always amazing, and I really appreciate them. I'll try and scribble down stuff when I get a chance-we've got so much coming up!-but I can't guarantee when the next time I'll be able to update will be.

Till then! Thanks again so much for all the feedback, it's wonderful!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter contains Nat/Pietro in a Dom/sub-esque relationship, as well as Loki and Nat near the end

* * *

Pietro, her newest referral, would be her last client of the week his appointment set up for that Thursday afternoon, before she and Loki left on Friday. Nat had had all of the previous day off to pack the belongings that she'd need for her first vacation in . . . ever, especially since she'd got to working here, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't exciting. Petrified, of course, but excited as well. It was hard not to be at the prospect of going out of the country, lying out on the sunny beaches of South France, wine in one hand, Loki beside her. It was all too enticing, and all she had to do was get through today and then the rest would be taken care of. She hoped. For as excited as she was, her stomach hadn't seemed to have gotten the memo, refusing food for most of the previous night and only allowing her to eat half a bagel with peanut butter and some black coffee this morning. There was no reason for her to be this anxious, yet her gut was little more than a series of tangled knots, weighing her down. The more she thought about it, the heavier it got, so she struggled to keep her mind occupied as she walked around her room at the agency.

There was only a half an hour or so before Pietro was supposed to be there, and her eyes skittered to her mini fridge. Drinking wasn't something she normally did right before a client came, but the last thing she wanted was for her to be stiff, especially not for a client's first session. She wiped her sweaty palms on the comforter of her bed, not wanting to leave marks on the short black dress she'd opted for, the silver and blue beading down the front catching the light. Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip, wondering just how bad of a mistake dealing with Loki for such a lengthy time if she was getting this anxious about it, but before she could think too long about what it was she was doing she already had the fridge open and the bottle of grey goose opened. She poured two fingers worth into a small cup beside the fridge and swallowed it down without so much as a groan of discomfort at the fire it left behind. There, better. What harm could it do?

She had a gargle of listerine to remove the scent and taste of alcohol from her tongue, just before there came a knock on the door. Her eyes skirted to the digital clock on the wall. He was ten minutes early. Good thing she'd gotten the damn drink out of the way when she had. The evidence disposed of, she took a deep breath to center herself, and headed towards the door, smiling. The man in front of her wasn't, necessarily, what she'd had in mind when she'd read Pietro Maximoff on the file name. He was wiry, with a nervous electric energy that seemed to make him all but vibrate before her. His blue eyes were bright, vibrant with the same energy. When she stood in front of him he smiled, and it made him look a good ten years younger. Her mind raced, trying to remember just how old his file had said he was, the number twenty-five sticking out. Well, she certainly hoped so.

"Natasha?" he double checked, stepping inside once she'd beckoned him to, turning to lead him towards the back of the room. "Nice to meet you."

"You as well, Pietro," she shot a smile back at him, noticing the way his eyes followed the curve of her ass, outlined by the tight fabric of her skirt. She bit her lip, eyes catching his when he looked up at her.

"You like what you see?" She pivoted slowly to face him before sitting down on the edge of her bed. WIth the door closed behind them she took a moment to analyze him, his stance, teh strange bubble of excitement that threatened to burst and infect them both. Her tongue flicked out to slide across her bottom lip and watched his eyes follow.

"Very much so," he said, voice thick with a familiar accent, though not as rough as those back home. "Your pictures don't do you justice." He shifted ever so slightly where he stood, and she could already see the faint outline of his dick against his thin pants. "I believe I owe you something?" One of his hands dug into the pockets of his blue and black jacket, pulling out a wad of bills. Testing the waters, she beckoned for him to come closer, and watched with a revelatory grin as he did so. As he moved to set the money down his throat was exposed to her, far longer than strictly necessary, as though he was waiting on something. Curious. Her fingers threaded in his hair, tugging him upwards and delighting in how his pupils dilated and he hissed in pleasure. She leaned in, licking a long stripe up the side of his jaw until she met his ear and bit. Hard.

"What do you want me to do to you?" she hissed, breath hot in his ear. He shuddered beneath her grasp, his pupils blown to high hell when he turned to look at her.

"I want you to make me stop thinking." His voice was wrecked, and after she'd done so little, too. She could only imagine how easy it would be to take him apart, to piece him back together underneath her, and the thought sent a thrill of surprise up her spine at how much she wanted that. "I want you to make me stop . . . as a whole. I don't get to very often-to slow down, even when I'm not training or running or doing anything else."

She could understand that, and the hand that had gripped him by the hair softened, running her nails along his scalp. Another shudder followed, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at her. Her lips twisted into an easy smile and she nodded. "Alright. Then strip for me, and lay down on the bed, head up here." She gestured to the pillows at the top of the bed and watched as he let out a slow breath of air, his whole body deflating as he shrugged the jacket off and hung it on the desk just beside the bed. His eyes raised to look at her and she made a clicking noise with her tongue.

"Did I give you permission to look at me?" she asked archly. He hastened to look down.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Madam," Natasha supplied, smiling at the flush that covered his pale chest as he revealed it to her. She locked in on six scars-bullet holes?-that smattered his chest, and he added her title to the end of his apology just before he finished stripping and laying down on the bed. His cock had already swelled with blood and stood, proudly, pointed to the ceiling. She walked towards the side of the bed and reached out a hand to stroke him gently, fingers wrapping ever-so slightly around the shaft and applying some pressure as she reached the base and watched his back arch. He responded beautifully, and she smiled at the choked noise that left his mouth as she brought her hand to the very tip and swirled her thumb over the hole.

Wetting her lips, she removed her hand, watching as his body visibly tightened at the absense of touch, and kept her voice quiet as she said: "I'm going to use your body for my pleasure, Pietro. I'm going to fuck your mouth, then I'm going to fuck your cock, and you're going to help me come as many times as I can. If you please me, then I'll let you finish as well." She caught his jaw and forced him to look at her. His eyes were hooded, the pupils so wide she thought that he'd been drugged. He drew a slow, shivering breath between his parted lips, and nodded vigorously.

"Yes madam," he hardly whispered, and she released his jaw to let him lay back down. Good. Though she knew their time was limited, she moved to the side panel of the wall and dimmed the lights, darkening it so that she'd be little more than a shadow, a shade of skin and red hair, before she worked to unzip the back of her dress. He hardly moved from where she'd placed his head, and his eyes skirted towards her before quickly moving away, as though remembering that he wasn't supposed to look at her. Wasn't he sweet?

"You may look at me," she told him as the dress puddled on the floor and she stepped out of it, her black, silk lingerie catching the dim lighting. His eyes snapped onto her, following the sound of her approaching footsteps, and his breath grew even more ragged as a result. Neither of them spoke, not needing to, and as she hefted her body onto the bed she watched as his gaze turned all the more reverent. A girl could get hooked on that kind of adoration and power. She kept her face free of however it was she might've, though. This was about him, even if she made it seem like it was about her. About what he needed.

Sliding her panties and bra off, her right hand slithered between her legs, feeling how wet she already was. It wasn't often that she got a client who let her take control, who wanted her to take control, and as she'd expected her body was responding as positively as her mind was, already slick and wanting more. Pietro breathed deeply, catching the scent of her arousal, and wetting his lips with anticipation as she edged her way towards his head.

"You're going to keep your hands on my hips. Squeeze once if you need a break, twice if you want to stop. Understood?"

"Yes, madam."

She stroked the side of his face with the back of her hand, the coarse rub of his stubble making her shudder. Perfect. "Good boy. Now," she swung a leg over his face, positioning herself so that her slit was just above his mouth, before she sank down. "Show me what you can do for me."

His mouth opened without a moment's hesitation, tongue leaving his parted lips to stroke upwards at her wet folds, nose pressed gently against her clit and sending spiders legs dancing across her spine as he licked her open. As ordered, his hands found the soft skin of her hips and held on for dear life as she dug her hands into his hair. Her nails scratched against his scalp and a soft moan left her lips as he nuzzled closer, rubbing her clit with the tip of his nose and thrusting his tongue inside of her. It wasn't near the length or width of what her body wanted, but it would do, and he certainly made up for it with enthusiasm. He delighted in eating her out, riding the motions of her hips as she ground against him, her breath turning to short, stabbing pants within minutes as he alternated between sucking on her clit, sneaking quick breaths through his nose, and diving back in so that he could press his tongue to every inch of her slit. When she'd arched her back with her first orgasm, the slow fire that'd been building in her lower stomach exploding in a flare of bliss, he'd even maneuvered his way further down so that his tongue pressed to the pucker of her ass, sliding around the tight ring of muscle. She shouted, the pleasure and surprise sensation coloring her orgasm with all the more strength as she clutched at his chest, having moved her hands to support herself further.

"Ah, shit, Pietro," she could barely gasp, the words slurring together as her body went limp above him. He muffled something against her inner thigh, gasping, but going back to her sopping cunt before he'd even caught his breath. He added teeth, the edge of pain and new sensation throwing her from the fog that usually followed such an intense orgasm, and it wasn't long before she was whimpering above him once again as her second orgasm took hold of her and snapped her body tight with the oncoming storm of pleasure. She ground out against him, the pressure on her clit turning mind-numbing just as he hummed against her skin. The vibrations were all it took to send her spiraling a second time, punching the air from her lungs at the quick succession of things, and this time she shouted. Her voice echoed off the walls and she didn't miss the way that his own hips bucked up against nothing in particular, desperate for some form of friction. She grinned, her eyes slipping closed for a moment, before she pulled herself from his sinful lips. They were swollen when she looked down at him, removing her right leg from the other side of him before she leaned down to kiss him. Tasting her own come had never been so damn erotic as when he made an offering of his mouth for her, allowing her to lick her way past his lips, exploring every inch of him and delighting in is gentle, slow tongue flicks and soft moans that were caught between the two of them.

"You were so good for me, darling," she whispered against his mouth when she pulled away, her eyes catching his and a grin passing over her lips. "I think you deserve a little treat. Would you like that?"

"Ye-." His voice broke, his tongue coming out to wet his lips, get every last drop of her slick from his mouth. "Yes, madam. Please."

Well how could she say no to that? She leaned to grab a condom from the bedside table, one for thicker gentlemen, and stripped it from its packaging with a practiced hand. Inch by inch she shifted backwards until she was on level with his cock, and after she'd applied the rubber she licked a slow stripe up from the base of his cock to the head, swirling her tongue around when he bit down on a shout and taking him between her lips. He was just thick enough to make her jaw start to ache, and she ran her tongue over the thick vein on the underside of his cock. Her movements were slow as she took him into her mouth, and the way his hands fisted in the bedsheets, how his eyes never left hers, made her all the more pleased that he'd requested her and she'd taken his appointment.

Her lips pulled away from him with a slow, soft 'pop' as she moved to position herself atop him, hand at the base of his cock to guide him in. "You're so good, Pietro. So very good for me." She gasped as the head pressed inside her, watching his pupils dilate further as her body accepted him inch by unforgiving inch. "Hands on my hips. The same rules apply as before: One squeeze and we'll pause, two and we stop. Understood?"

He gave a quick nod of his head, and she twisted one of his nipples, hard, with her right hand. "What was that?"

"Yes madam," he gasped, cheeks pinkening, as she took the rest of him in with one swift swivel of her hips. She was unmerciful, to say the least. Her hands pressed to his chest as she balanced on her haunches and rode him, hard enough to cause the bed to shake. Pietro's breath was coming in quick, uneven gasps through his clenched teeth, his gaze unfocused as she added a tilt to her pelvis that brought him even deeper inside of her. At her request, his hips snapped up to join in her movements, and the difference brought stars to Natasha's sight. Her pace faltered, her orgasm nearing, and her jaw went slack as she rode him all the harder for it.

His body started to tense, and Nat, on the cusp of her own orgasm, leaned up and grasped him by the chin, forcing her mouth onto his. Again, he went pliant beneath her, allowing her to take her fill of his mouth before she pulled back with a gasp.

"Please, madam," he begged, voice cracked and eyes hazy.

"Oh no," she hissed. "You don't get to finish until I do. Don't you dare come, Pietro."

He whimpered, his head slamming back against the bed as his pace picked up. Holy shit, how fast could he go? Her nails found his shoulders and dug in as he slammed up into her, determined to make her come, and come she did. Her jaw dropped once more, holding on for dear life as she spiraled out of control for the third time in the past hour. She leaned down to whisper in his ear for him to come, not quite sure if she could take much more of it without losing her mind entirely, and with a shout he followed suit.

* * *

He didn't stay long after he'd finished, though his smile was hazy and he accepted a bottle of water graciously when she'd offered it, the pair of them having dressed in relative silence. "Thank you, so much. I needed that," he said, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek. "Can I see you again?"

"Of course," she said, wondering why in the hell her cheeks felt so warm? What was wrong with her? "Down at the front desk the girl on duty would be able to help you out. If you-." This wasn't normal, this wasn't what she did as a professional, but she snagged a pen off one of the tables near the door and scribbled her number down on a piece of paper. "If you need that again, before your appointment? Just let me know. I know it can get a little crazy, so if you need some time to relax-get out of your head. Just call me."

It was just about looking out for his mental health, she told herself. There was something about his reassured, grateful smile that made her gut twist, and with a murmur of thanks he excused himself. She hadn't even seen the money he'd slipped into her hands until she'd tightened her hands into fists once the door was closed.

* * *

She'd promised to meet Loki at the hotel that evening, all of her belongings for the holiday in tow, after her last client, but she found herself dawdling a little, worry gnawing at the edge of her brain. Contemplating another shot of vodka, she forwent the alcohol and instead decided to go over a quick mental list to make sure she'd gotten everything. Her work phone would be left at the agency-no point in bringing it when she didn't have international minutes on it, but instead her current, personal phone would have to suffice. She'd already called the company to switch her plan so that she wouldn't be penalized on the offhand chance that someone did call. Thor was already told that she was going on a business trip ("They send you girls to conferences?" he'd asked, taken by surprise when she'd called him with the news and to ask him to keep feeding the black, stray cat that tended to wander her way every so often. "Just me because I'm so awesome," she'd promised. "I'll buy you dinner when I get back to say thanks.") She had her credit cards already switched over so that she could pay for anything that she wanted in France . . . assuming Loki didn't cover it. He'd already offered to cover her trip there and back, as well as their living arrangements, on top of what it would normally cost for her to be with him for so many days. He might've said that he had money to burn but damn she didn't want to imagine the dent it was making on his finances. Her own wallet shuddered at the thought, so the least she could do was pay for her own food, drink, and souvenirs.

Though who she'd buy them for . . . maybe she'd get something for Emma, or Darcy. She couldn't buy anything for Thor, not having told him she was going out of country, unless she got something from the airport for him.

Decisions, decisions.

Her cab had arrived at the hotel without her having realized they'd gotten there so quickly. Gray looked back at her after they'd pulled up to the entrance, giving a low whistle. "Going up in the world, aren't ya?" he asked, his smile kind as she slipped him a generous tip along with his fare.

Her own smile felt a little stiff on her lips, so she took a half second to calm down. "Something like that, I hope."

"You'll get there," he promised as he parked the car and popped the trunk, getting her bags out for her. "Have a safe trip and all that." His smile extended to his eyes, and Nat felt the urge to hug him, as though that was something she ought to do. She squeezed his shoulder instead, looking up into his dark eyes and thanking him, before heading towards the entrance of the hotel and her and Loki's room. Why was it that she couldn't relax? This was ridiculous.

He was already up there waiting for her when she got there, his tie hanging loose around his neck, the top two buttons on his shirt undone and suit jacket hanging up on the back of a chair. As soon as Nat was through the door she kicked off the black peep-toe high heels and pulled her hair out of the tight bun she'd twisted it into. So much better.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Loki said, standing and moving towards her on silent feet. She smiled, accepting the kiss he pressed to her lips and reveled in just being able to stand like that, his left arm circling her waist, her own wrapped around his neck as they took their time reacquainting themselves with one another. A dull ache started up in her chest as he pulled her a little tighter, then released her so they could both catch their breath. His eyes were hooded and his smile lazy as he looked down at her. "You look gorgeous darling. Long day?"

"Not too bad," she said with a shrug. "I just hate wearing heels if I can help it."

"Well, you are rather tiny," he teased her with a laugh. One of his hands found her own and threaded their fingers together, leading her towards the couch where he'd been sitting. "I was contemplating food, though. I'd assumed you'd rather an evening in, rather than go out?"

It sounded wonderful, and her smile couldn't have been more genuine as he offered her a seat and the collection of menus he'd spread out on the coffee table. She tried not to think about the last time they'd been this close on the couch, too exhausted to even consider doing more than just relaxing, and thankfully he didn't seem to mind it. His lips traveled down her throat, certainly, and his fingers deftly worked at the strained muscles in her back, but he never pressed it. He was far different than what she'd anticipated, so why was it that she'd been so worried about how this was going to go? She could get used to this, right?

The Chinese take-out took twenty or so minutes to get there, and over steaming boxes of lo mein, chicken and mushrooms, and pork dumplings they caught up on what had gone on in the past few days. Business, for Loki, meant dealing with his adopted family in close contact, and while he and his mother seemed to have a glowing relationship his words about his brother were colorful and, for the most part, censored. His adopted father not so much. Nat ran a hand through his hair as he commiserated with her about how he didn't feel like he fit with them, and she kissed him to make him feel better. He might not have liked his family, but they paid him a great deal to work there, and he in turn paid her. It wasn't such a bad situation.

"At least we've got some time off and away from it all," she promised, barely stifling a yawn as the hour-hand on the clock hit ten. She wasn't usually such a lightweight when it came to staying up.

He just smiled. "Yes we do, and we've got an early morning flight tomorrow."

She scrunched up her nose. "Why? It's your private plane." That made no sense.

"Yes, but the earlier we leave, the earlier in the day it will be in Nice. They're six hours ahead of us."

Fair point, and her eyes were beginning to droop. She placed one last kiss on his cheek. "If you insist," she teased, sliding up from where she'd made herself comfortable at her side, and, on a whim, eased the zipper of her dress all the way down. She could all but hear his eyes pop out of their sockets as she turned to him, no undergarments, and smiled. "You're coming to bed with me, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she stepped out of the puddled garments and towards the bedroom that she'd yet to be in. He hardly took a second to follow right behind.

* * *

A/N: Well I am officially moved to my new apartment! And! Done with my undergrad degree! (Finally :DD) Which means more time for writing, right? haha. Thanks so much for reading and for sticking with this fic! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: EDIT: There is a **mild dub-con** warning at the beginning of this, ending about the time that they get off the plane. I've left a line break where that ends, if you wish to avoid it. Heavy Nat/Loki chapter, and the next couple will likely be the same way. Thanks for reading!

* * *

She was pretty sure she would never fully wake up after Loki shook her awake at 3 the next morning. She stumbled after Loki as he herded her out of their hotel room and into the car he already had waiting, ready to take them to the airport. Their flight was set to leave at four, and he'd warned her the night before that they had an early wake up. Sleepwalking through the process of getting around wasn't very professional, but she'd never been much of an early morning person if she could avoid it, having thrown on a pair of flat sandals and a plain black lace two part dress, belted around the high-waisted skirt that hit just below the knee. Classy enough that if they got photographed she wouldn't look like she'd just woke up. Still, as simple as it had been to throw on she hated having to do it so early. She liked waking up at 10 in the morning or later, liked the lazy sun already hanging in the sky, and there wasn't anything wrong with that, dammit.

Besides, he'd asked for this, and surely he didn't expect her to be on point and in character at every moment in her life. Did he?

She certainly hoped not, and didn't focus on it any more than that initial thought, smiling as he helped her into the airplane once they'd arrived, the car having pulled right onto the tarmac to save them the hassle of having to go through customs and what not. What money could do, she supposed. She'd always just assumed this only happened in the movies, though she wasn't sure she could consider this real life anymore. It just felt too surreal. The plane itself was nice, smaller than she might've imagined but between the two of them it had more than enough room. It wasn't too long of a flight, thankfully, and they didn't have to worry about stopping, so Nat was planning on sleeping her way through the majority of the 8 hour flight. Something told her she wasn't going to get as much rest and relaxation on the vacation as she thought.

Not that Loki was looking to give her much time to rest and relax on the plane, either. As soon as they had reached a decent enough altitude that they didn't have to wear their seatbelts, he accepted a double of scotch from the stewardess, and had gotten a coffee for Nat per her request, before sending the woman away with one look. She closed the sliding door between the passengers cabin and the rest of the plane with a smirk that had Natasha wondering just how many other women Loki-or Thor, she reminded herself-had already done this with. She sipped at her coffee, her eyes not meeting Loki's even as she felt the increased heat of his stare on her, chewing on the inside of her cheek. The coffee worked to at least help her brain begin to turn on, but she wasn't so sure she was ready for much of anything else.

"Have you ever been on a plane before, Natasha?" Loki asked, his voice soft.

She still didn't look at him, though it was clear he was trying to start something and catch her attention. "Yeah. When I came over from Russia, a few years ago." She took another sip, unable to hold the liquid for long in her mouth due to the heat.

His laugh was as soft as his words had been. "A couple thousand feet in the air and suddenly you're shy?" His fingers reached out to skim over the back of her relaxed hand. Nat tried not to shy away like she wanted to. "What I've seen you do, my darling, you have no reason to be nervous, or shy."

That wasn't, necessarily, comforting. Still, it got what he wanted, her eyes flickering over to meet his gaze and finding it heated enough to bring color to her cheeks. His belt unbuckled with a click, and he tossed back the scotch with a simple twist of his wrist before setting it off to the side. With ease, he slithered onto the floor, between her bare legs, pushing up her skirt in slow, even increments.

"What're you doing?" The words sounded stupid even as they left her lips, earning her a patronizing arch of his brows as he looked up at her, placing a slow kiss on the inside of her knee, before they moved further upwards. He didn't answer her, didn't need to, head disappearing beneath the fold of her skirt as his hands found her hips and tipped them forward. She shouted, fingers clenching tight to the armrests of her seat, eyes widening as his tongue lapped at her clit, nose pressed hard against her pubic bone as he worked to pull an orgasm from every pore of her exhausted body. It wasn't easy, and she looked up at the ceiling of the plane when she felt him press two fingers inside of her, her body's arousal making it easy but _dammit _her head just wasn't in it. She only half phoned in the orgasm, pitching her voice a little higher than normal as she tensed her body and curled her toes in simulation of coming. It wasn't that it didn't feel good, because he was damn talented, but she just wasn't entirely comfortable with just how far he was pushing her already. They'd only just gotten there, and she just . . . wasn't into it, and it would take too long for her to finish. The longer it took, the less confident he'd be in his skills, and she wasn't about to let him start this damn vacation on a poor note. They just needed more time.

Still, his self-satisfied smirk was worth it, she had to say, as he pulled up and away and she leaned in to kiss him. "You're too good to me," she purred, tasting herself on his lips along with the alcohol. She leaned forward in her seat to palm at his obvious erection straining at his pants, motioning for him to stand so that she could return the favor.

At least one of them should get to come for real.

He accepted it with a groan as he stood, his fingers threading through her hair as she unzipped his trousers and ran her hand up and down his length a couple times, swiping her thumb over the head of his cock to spread the precome. She brought her lips to the crown, looking up at him through her eyelashes, before closing her eyes and taking him in her mouth in one, fluid motion. This, at least, she was good at.

Loki went boneless after Natasha had finished him off, and she was just pleased to have her coffee and a little more peace and quiet. After that stunt, assuming that the rest of the trip was going to be anything like what had just happened, she might need it.

It was just the morning, she told herself. Just her being out of her element, and her nerves at being so far away from home that made her anxious. There was no other reason for it, and the sooner she acknowledged what the problem was the sooner she could get past it, right? Her gut seemed to relax afterwards.

* * *

By the time they touched down in Nice, she was smiling as she leaned over to shake Loki awake, her movements gentle.

"Hey, we made it," she said, keeping her voice soft as his eyes blinked, blearily, open.

He hummed, twisting his neck to the side and wincing. "God, I'm sorry for falling asleep on you," he met her gaze, the apology honest. She shook her head.

"It's not a problem. We had an early morning," she reminded him. "And an eventful one already, thanks to you." Her fingers dug into his side, teasing him, as he undid his buckle. Nat's had already been off as soon as the signal had been given that it could be. Another car was waiting for them, the chauffeur opening their doors for them as their combined luggage was loaded up and they were driven away from the airport. Loki's hand found hers, slipping his fingers with hers.

"I thought we might get some dinner, then go down to the beach and spend the evening there, if you'd like. It's around 7 in the evening right now," he said, eyes peeking up at the clock on the car's dashboard.

Seven PM, a whole day gone, and they'd only just gotten started. Still, it sounded nice, and she relaxed her head against his shoulder as the driver came back. Loki spoke in rapid, fluid French, Natasha picking up a few words here and there about where he wanted to them to be taken, and what was to be done with their luggage as they ate. With a soft "oui" the car slid into motion, smooth as silk, as it made its way down the narrow streets of the city. Natasha couldn't have slept if she'd wanted to, her eyes darting to try and take it all in. Her eyes lit on half a dozen different little shops she wanted to go visit, pointing them out to Loki, who smiled and agreed that of course they could. They had quite a few days to themselves, after all.

"And what sort of man would I be if I didn't spoil you rotten?" he teased, breath warm in her ear as he leaned down to nip at the shell. She shivered.

"You've already paid to get me here," she reminded him with an easy smile, turning her head to look up at him. "You don't have to buy me anything else. I saved up for this, I promise." Besides, it was all his money that she was going to be spending, anyway, so he might as well have been buying it all for her.

No, she'd _worked _for that money. It wasn't his anymore, it was hers, offered up in transaction for her services. A concert pianist didn't feel obliged to remind themselves that their money had once belonged to several different individuals, so why should she think the same?

"I want to," he assured her, kissing her cheek. "Let me?"

She pursed her lips. On one hand, she could save more. Could work to get a nicer apartment, maybe a farther away from work. On the other, she didn't want to feel like a kept woman-.

But wasn't that, essentially, what she was pretending to be?

"If you insist." She kissed him slowly on the lips, sucking on his bottom lip and delighting in the way he shivered beneath her, before he surged back. His hand cupped the back of her head, digging his fingers into her red hair and pulling just far enough that she had to pull away, lips open and gasping for air as he left a small, trailing collection of marks down her throat. They'd be healed up by the time they got back, Natasha knew. What did it matter, then, that he did? She moaned at the sensation, encouraging him on.

"We might not make it to the restaurant," she whispered against him. "I might need to have you here." All the pent up sexual energy from the plane was coming back in full force, arching her back so that her breasts pressed hard against his chest. She undid the buckle around her and climbed into his lap, grinding her hips against his.

The car came to a slow, smooth stop, and Loki laughed as they broke apart. "I'm afraid it's a little late for that," he teased, undoing his own belt once she'd scooted off. Her cheeks burned, catching sight of the driver just in front of them, having been able to hear every word. Oops.

"Don't worry. Jean works for me alone, no one in my family will find out about us."

Thank God.

He took a moment, once she got off of him, to calm down, before he opened the door at the side of the restaurant and Natasha slid out after him, straightening her skirt. The outdoor lights were just starting to turn on for the evening, giving it a quaint feel that Natasha thought she'd only ever read about, never actually see in person.

"Do you want to eat outside?" Loki asked, his smile wide as he squeezed her hand. She nodded, the pair of them picking a small, private table near the very edge of the allocated seating once they caught the maitre de's attention. They were seated without question, Loki ordering a bottle of wine with a smile at the waiter when he came over, as Nat peered over the unintelligible menu, biting her bottom lip. A few words she'd picked up here and there, but for the most part she found the words had begun to blur together, making little to no sense. Hell, she hadn't even started drinking yet, what the hell was up with that?

"What're you getting?" she peered over the top of the menu, catching Loki's bemused gaze. He must've guessed her predicament.

He rattled something off in French, the words rolling over his tongue, and she rolled her eyes and nudged his leg with her foot.

"Rude."

He laughed, and set to translating the menu for her, recommending the fish as it was caught earlier that day, and picking out a couple of lighter dishes that sounded excellent, too. The wine was a white one, bubbly and sweet, and it went right to Natasha's head as soon as she took her first sip. She'd have to be careful with that one. Loki ordered for the pair of them as Natasha took in the sights. The streets were empty for the most part, though she expected it likely got busy once the sun went down.

Unfortunately, without the ability to people watch, or for the noise of the crowds to fill the silence, they sat there without saying much to one another, simply sipping at the wine and not entirely meeting one another's gaze. What was it that was so off about them, now?

Natasha opened her mouth, the word "So" falling from her lips just as Loki did the same, resulting in a nervous, soft laugh bouncing between the pair. Natasha bit her bottom lip, Loki pressing her to go first. "So," she started again. "Your family comes to France a lot? What started that?"

His hand swirled the glass of wine gently, watched the pale contents whip around and crawl towards the lip of the glass. "We've been coming here ever since I was a child. Mother wasn't too fond of the dreary summers in London, where Odin worked, so we started coming here just the three of us. Odin would only join if he could pull himself away from work."

A touchy subject. She shouldn't have asked, noting the way he chewed on the inside of his cheek. She made a mental note to stay away from talking about family, knowing all too well that it was a touchy subject, she just wasn't so sure how far back his animosity went. Now, she knew, and knew better than to skirt around the subject.

"It's gorgeous here," she said, changing the subject with an easy smile that caught his attention immediately. "And your French is flawless. I'm envious."

He laughed, the compliment sticking, as his hand reached out to take hers, lips grazing the back of it. He murmured something that she couldn't begin to understand, the string of consonants and vowels rolling over her skin until she shivered.

"Hey, it's not fair if I can't understand what you're saying," she said, moments before the waiter came back with the dishes they'd ordered.

Everything was delicious, and the conversation stayed light hearted the whole while through. Once she got some food into her stomach Natasha started sipping at the wine again, studying the label when Loki had gone to the bathroom and wondering how much it'd cost her to get a whole case of them shipped back to her apartment. She wasn't one for white wines, but this was damn good, if not strong. She relaxed in her seat, blinking slowly as she felt the last few rays of the sun heat her bared shoulders. At least the city didn't hold as many bad memories for Loki as he seemed to let on, and maybe some new positive ones were just what he needed to get back to the way things used to be with his family.

She stopped herself short, setting the glass of wine back onto the table with a light "click." That wasn't any of her business. As Thor's friend of course she wanted to do what she could to help him and fix his family's problems. She cared about him and had seen how Loki's rejection of the family last name had hurt him, even if Loki was still working at the same business. But Loki was her client, and she was on his time. It wasn't her place to go poking around and trying to change any opinion he had of the city, or his family.

And if she couldn't differentiate between the two, then it'd be her that would have to walk away from their agreement. She wasn't risking Thor's friendship for anything.

Which reminded her. Her phone lay dormant in the small clutch that housed her credit card, passport, and a couple other necessities, and with Loki gone she tugged it out to shoot Thor a quick text, letting him know she'd arrived safe and sound, and that she'd already checked into her hotel. She didn't want him to panic, knowing he would if he didn't hear for her for long. It was late back home, but so long as he knew she was safe that ought to keep him from questioning her further.

Her fingers paused over the illuminated screen, before she locked it and set it back in her clutch. There was no one else who'd care that she'd made it safely to France. At least she wouldn't have to worry about racking up international charges.

When Loki came back she'd lost what was left of her appetite, and even the promise of dessert couldn't coax it back. Loki insisted on paying, and once Jean returned with the car they headed to the villa where they'd be staying. Nat, it seemed, wasn't the only one out of it. Loki's face looked drawn as soon as he thought she wasn't looking, though he was doing an excellent job at keeping it hidden. He didn't want to mess anything up, she could understand, curious just how much pressure he put on himself to make sure that this went smoothly. It was supposed to be a vacation for him, too.

Her hand sought his and squeezed until he turned to face her.

"I hate to be lame, but would you mind if we stayed in tonight, too?" she asked as she twisted her expression into one of hopefulness. "The flight really took a lot out of me. I'm not near as fancy as you are, Mr. Jet-setter."

She watched as his brow relaxed, and the smile on his lips turned genuine. "Not at all, Natasha. That sounds perfect. We'll go to the beach when it's warmer out tomorrow. I'd hate for you to catch cold the first day here."

Wouldn't they both?

* * *

The villa was enormous, and really Nat shouldn't have expected anything else. Not for the first time she wondered at how it was that these boys had grown up accustomed to such wealth and now hardly batted an eyelash at the prospect of spending money. Thor wasn't near as obvious about it, at least, but Loki? Subtlety wasn't a word she'd use when describing his spending habits, if this trip and her accompaniment was any indication. Their belongings already inside, Loki gave her a quick tour as soon as she'd tugged off her shoes in what could only be described as the entrance hall, her feet aching from being in them for so long, and padded after him as he showed her the kitchen and dining hall on the main floor, the marble floors chilled beneath her feet but nothing uncomfortable. In fact, she rather liked it. There was an enormous study on the main level, as well as a recreation room with a pool table and a flat screen television that would've taken up an entire wall at her apartment, a lavish leather couch positioned a few feet away from it to afford the viewer the best picture. She tried not to gawk, even as they stepped away and towards the staircase leading them upstairs, Nat hesitant to even touch the white painted wood for fear she'd leave some sort of mark behind. Like she didn't belong, or something. Like their mother, or Thor, would come back one day and look at the railing and know _exactly _who it was and what it was she did.

Both of their belongings had been left in the same room, of course, and for the second time that day Natasha was glad for Loki's confidence in Jean's discretion. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him telling anyone. Loki wasted no time in stripping, dropping his jacket to the floor, and unbuttoning half of his shirt before tugging the rest up and over his shoulders. Natasha, appreciative of the view though she might have been, took a quick turn around the attached bathroom. The tub was big enough to fit at least three of her, with at least half a dozen jets to froth the water at the touch of a button, and the shower was about as large as her whole bathroom. She couldn't help but giggle appreciatively at the two shower heads, the lower one strategically placed and with a detachable head. Hell, even the toilet, which was separated by the back shower wall and a sliding door, was fancy, though she was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't made of gold. Hiding a smile behind her hand, she headed back towards the tub and bent over to turn on the water, letting it heat up as she examined the slew of half empty bottles of soap until she found one she liked, sandalwood and just the faintest hint of lime. Uncapping it, she squeezed a fair amount into her empty palm, rubbing it on her hands before dropping them beneath the running water. She all but moaned at the heat sinking into her veins, the soap bubbling immediately and frothing as it started to fill the tub.

She hadn't heard Loki pad behind her, the sound of running water too loud, and was only alerted to his presence by the feel of his cock pressed hard against her ass. She started, turning to see him entirely undressed and his pupils enormous.

"Hi," she breathed, smiling as she worked to regain her composure. "Want a bath?"

"That sounds incredible," he said, his hands sliding slowly up her sides until she shivered. His lips descended on hers, and the kiss was slow, and as warm as the water that steadily filled the tub. She moaned and opened for him, eyes shutting and pulse a slow, steady thrum between them as he worked to remove her clothing as well. He'd closed the door behind him, trapping the heat from the running water in with them so that the mirrors and high window began to fog.

He was terrible at keeping his hands to himself as they worked to get into the tub, Natasha sinking into the hot water first and sitting up near the spout to allow him room to sink into the water behind her. He let out a broken groan at the feel of the warm water, and she turned off the water once it came up to both of their chests. There was more than enough room for her to turn around, and with his eyes closed and his head tipped back against the edge of the tub she was able to straddle him once again. Without any clothing to separate them her slit slid right up against his cock. His head snapped upwards, eyes dark and lips parted as she bit her bottom lip slyly. His hips snapped upwards, seeking out the heat and friction of her body, but she pressed a hand to his chest.

"Hey, let me take care of you," she murmured, much more relaxed on the ground and mostly awake. Morning quickies that weren't on her watch, apparently, just didn't do it for her.

Loki hummed softly, eyes slitting as he watched her raise herself up, then slide onto him in one achingly slow movement, filling herself to the hilt. Her back arched, red curls dragging through the soap suds that covered the surface of the bath, but she didn't move much further than that. She wanted to enjoy the pressure, the exquisite, ridiculous perfection of how he filled her up until she wanted to shout with pleasure. Her thighs and calves flexed as she brought herself to slowly ride him, keeping her movements even, relaxed even. Not once did she break eye contact with him, feeling something in her chest clench as his face transformed beneath her gaze, breaking down until she could see every stretch of pleasure and surprise and affection on his face easy as reading a coloring book. She tried not to let it worry her, and even as he tried to buck up against her, to pick up the pace, she shook her head and grinned.

"Trust me," she urged, wetting her bottom lip with her tongue as she helped him chase the slow burn in the pit of his gut, unable to stop herself from staring as he came apart beneath her expert ministrations. When he came, it was with a guttural cry she felt in her toes, tugging her to climax alongside him. His arms had wrapped around her waist, tugging her closer until their foreheads touched, but never once breaking the eye contact she'd worked so hard to keep. He stilled beneath her after he came, his breath shuddering before he captured her lips and closed his eyes. What little breath she had was gone, stolen by his slow exploration of her mouth. It never got old, never stopped turning her on as his tongue traced the familiar lines of her teeth and tongue, and he tasted of the same sweet wine she'd loved so much until she was sure she could get drunk on him alone.

When they broke apart he looked conflicted, his brow having pulled down as he stared at her. His mouth parted to say something, and Natasha panicked, surging closer to kiss him once again, closing his lips and silencing whatever it was he had in his mind to say.

That look meant the death of her career, and she'd be damned if she'd overplayed her hand this fucking early into their vacation.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Another Loki/Nat heavy chapter, focusing exclusively on them and their vacation.

* * *

It'd been years since Nat had had a dream about what had happened before she'd come to America, so long that she'd stopped worrying about the way that they made her tremble and sweat in the middle of the night, so when she came to at four in the morning, shaking hard enough to wake Loki up beside her, teeth chattering from the cold sweat that covered her from head to toe she wasn't prepared for the nausea that came with it. Waving a hand at his concerns, she barely made it from the bed to the bathroom, falling to her knees just before the toilet as her stomach began to fill the porcelain bowl with the contents of her stomach. The acid burned her throat, making her eyes water, and as she shut them tight the dream surged back up to the forefront of her mind. The orphanage that she'd lived in since she could remember had been freezing, and more and more children died from colds and coughs so hard that they all but pulled the lungs from their bodies. She understood as she grew older that there was never enough medicine for all of them, but knew growing up that to get sick meant to be dead, and so had fought against it as much as she could. When the sniffles would start, she'd push herself to be more active, running around their small room to keep her body warm. There weren't near enough blankets, anyway, and the more tired she became, the easier it would be to sleep.

The hand on her back made her jump. She tipped her head to the side, catching sight of Loki's worried face in the faint moonlight coming in from the window.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, voice soft. The hand on her back rubbed slow, small circles on her bare skin, and she tipped her forehead on the cool lip of the bowl.

"Water?" she asked, voice a thick rasp. Anything to soothe the burning of her throat. She thought she felt more acid rising in her gut, her mouth watering, and she held her hair back as a second wave of nausea forced her body to convulse. There wasn't anything left for her to puke, but it sure didn't stop her body from trying. Each time she closed her eyes to try and find some semblance of peace all she could see were the faces of the kids she'd had to take care of when she got older, and was told that she had to learn how to pull her weight. She'd never been able to save any of them once they'd gotten sick, no matter how much medicine she managed to steal it was never enough to buy them more than a couple weeks. One of the girls, a blond named Anya, had shivered and shook in Natasha's arms an entire evening and well into the day before her body gave out. Nat had buried her herself, and ran away the day after.

Loki set the cup of water down beside her, bringing a damp wash cloth to the back of her neck to try and help warm her up. Her hand caught his before he could pull it back and squeezed.

"Thank you," she said, dabbing the corners of her lips with a piece of toilet paper before throwing it into the bowl, and flushing it all away. She hoped that was the last of it. Her hand was shaking when she picked up the small cup he'd gotten her and sipped at the water, the warmth easing its way down her throat. She waited until it settled to take another sip, and her eyes skirted to look over at Loki. His brow was pulled down in concern, his eyes dark as he watched the tremble in her body. She hated it, hated the pity there, and that this bullshit was happening on the first real day of their trip. What in the hell was he supposed to think if she spent the whole time sick? Nice return on his investment, she couldn't help but think.

After polishing the water off she cleared her throat carefully. "You can go back to bed, I'm sorry for waking you up."

He shook his head, and she had a nasty feeling that the adrenaline of seeing her sick was keeping him from doing so.

_'Nice work, Romanov.'_

"I'm fine right here," he promised her, sitting down and leaning against the door frame. There was tension in his body that said he wanted to come over and see her, take care of her, but she was glad he didn't. She really didn't want to fall apart any more than she was right then in front of him. Already the lines between work and her past were too close for her comfort.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after a couple minutes of silence, but she shook her head, biting at her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can just yet," she admitted. Her hand came up to rub against her eyes, feeling more tears start in the corners. Two years since she'd last had a dream like that, two damn years and it picked _then _to start back up. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I haven't had . . . something like this happen in a long time."

"But it has happened before,"

She bit her bottom lip as she nodded slowly, the pain of her teeth sinking into her skin enough to keep the tears from spilling. Nearly constantly. Every night would be a struggle to even fall asleep, let alone stay asleep, once she'd ran away from that hell house. But she'd been fifteen and old enough to find decent work at least. Not that decent work had paid well, and it hadn't been long before she was shivering and on the side of the road, having been kicked out of the hostel she'd been sleeping in for not having enough money. Alexie had found her then-.

Ohhh no. She couldn't go down that road of thought. Her hands moved up to cradle the back of her neck, face burying in her lap as she pulled her knees up so she could rest her forehead against them. It made her as small as possible, not so comfortable, but it was safe. She just needed a minute to pull it all together, needed to stop feeling his gaze on her.

As though her prayers had been answered he got up, the floorboards shifting underneath them. She breathed a small sigh of relief at his absence, hearing him pad away and letting herself let out the softest, quickest of sobs. That was it, that was all she'd let herself have. That was all she'd needed. If there was one thing she was good at, it was pulling herself away from emotional situations, cutting herself off to go about her business without letting it affect her. This had just gotten her at a weak moment, and now that she was slowly coming into her own mind again she felt herself being pieced together, one splintered edge at a time.

Loki had come back a minute later, draping a warm blanket around her shoulders. She hadn't realized that she'd been shaking still until he had, and her head tilted upwards to look at him. His smile transformed his face into one that she hadn't seen before, his expression so much more open and unguarded than usual.

"Let's get you somewhere more comfortable at least. Can we do that?"

Yes, she thought so. Her stomach didn't feel quite so queasy anymore, and she nodded her head wordlessly as she struggled to get up. They stopped momentarily at the bathroom sink, Nat wanting to at least rinse her mouth out of the feel of acid on her teeth and get the taste of bile out of her mouth, and Loki stayed with her the whole while. After, he led her back into the bedroom, drawing back the sheets so that she could crawl in easily.

"I can find a different room if you'd rather be alone," he said, voice unsure, but she shook her head. Her hand found his and squeezed.

"Please don't." Being alone meant she'd break down again. With him there her emotions had to play nicely, had to stay covered up, otherwise it would be the end of her. Having him there meant she had something else to think of besides herself. "Thank you."

He pressed his lips to the back of her right shoulder blade, his right arm wrapping slowly around her blanket covered waist. "Of course. It's the least I can do," he promised her quietly. She listened as his breathing slowed, grew less labored, and he slipped into sleep once more. She, on the other hand, watched the slow blinking double lights of the digital clock just beside the bed, her mind finally letting her find sleep after the one-thousand and twenty-first blink.

* * *

Rested was not a word that she'd have used to describe how she felt when she woke up a few hours later, the clock reading 8:59 in the morning, but her body wasn't about to let her have any more sleep. She laid in bed just in case, though. Her stomach had settled without any other off putting dreams to make her queasy, and she tried to let the soothing in and out of Loki's breath ease her back to sleep . . . but never came. Slowly, she eased her way out of bed. His arm had released her sometime in the evening, and she found one of his spare shirts and slid it on before she padded her way to the kitchen. The least she could do was make him breakfast after he'd stayed with her during that . . . rather embarrassing display. It was horrifying, knowing that he'd seen her at her very weakest. He was a client, a well off one who'd paid her for the pleasure of her company, not for having to babysit her when her mind decided it was going to bring up the past at the most inopportune of moments.

She definitely owed him. In the kitchen she found fresh eggs and cream, bread, cinnamon and brown sugar and bananas enough to make some sort of sweet take on a banana's foster french toast. She hoped. Wouldn't that be apt to make in France? She allowed herself a quick smile as she assembled the ingredients, humming quietly in the absence of other noise. Not even Jean was anywhere to be found, and she wondered if he lived nearby or in the house, too.

Mind blanking, she allowed herself to get sucked into the process of whipping eggs and cream together, finding a skillet large enough to fry up a couple pieces at a time. She sliced up the bananas next, wanting them to caramelize and soften with the brown sugar and cinnamon. The sizzle of butter in the hot pan made her smile, swirling the bubbling liquid in the pan until it browned and she was ready to put her first couple slices of coated bread in the pan. It smelled divine, and as it cooked on medium heat she moved to the coffee maker she'd caught sight of in the corner of her eye. A French press, of course. Padding her way over to it, she smiled as she read through the instructions. Seemed simple enough, and there was a kettle on the stovetop for her to fill with fresh water for it. The process slotted itself in with Natasha's preparation of breakfast, timed together so perfectly she was amazed at how easily it all seemed to come together. If only her life could do the same.

She was just finishing the last of the slices of toast, and preparing the pan for the bananas, when she felt warm arms wrap around her middle. She gave a small start, hearing Loki's muffled laugh in her ear, and relaxed against his chest.

"Good morning," she said, turning around to peck him on the lips and smiling when he cupped the side of her face.

"The same to you. Look at how domestic you can be," he teased, his fingers moving down to the edge of her shirt and giving a low hiss as he got a look at it. "You look spectacular in this and it's simply not fair, you understand that, right?"

She rolled her eyes, smiling all the same. "Why don't you grab a mug? Coffee's ready, and I'm just about done with breakfast.

"I can hardly wait."

He sounded like he meant it, and as she slid the warm, brown sugar coated bananas onto the pile of french toast she had to admit she'd done a damn good job. If he happened to have a-yes. On the far side of the counter she found a stand mixer, and with some vanilla in hand she poured the remainder of the cream and the vanilla into it. A little sugar, and half a minute later the blender had whipped the cream into stiff peaks, a trick Nat had learned the first Thanksgiving she'd pulled off by herself, and had forgotten to buy whipped cream at the store for her pie. She didn't have a mixer at home, and her arm had ached when she'd tried to do it by hand, but dammit it tasted better than anything she could've bought. Pleased with herself, she scooped out the whipped cream and put it in a small glass bowl in the leftmost cupboard that Loki directed her to when she'd started looking. He was already digging in, and when she offered him the whipped cream his eyebrows shot up.

"You are rather domestic," he teased. "Where'd you learn all this?"

Natasha gave a quick shrug as she sat down beside him, sticking a finger in the sweet cream and-on a whim-booped Loki on the nose with it. She grinned when he pulled back, looking at her with a quick, confused blink of his eyes, before he laughed and wiped it off.

"What are you, five?" he snorted, licking it off his finger and groaning. "It's much too good to waste."

Was it? Her smile turned a little more devious, and when she noticed he wasn't wearing anything but a pair of boxers she sank to her knees. She used a spoon to snag a dollop of the cream, and amidst Loki's surprised splutters she pulled his half hard cock out past the flap, undoing the button with ease. Licking her lips, she coated his cock with the white substance, and went to task licking it off and cleaning it from his skin. He groaned, leaning back in his chair, food forgotten in front of him, as Natasha swallowed him whole. He was right, she had done a damn good job making that, and the sweetness of it mixed with the taste of his skin, and the heady sounds coming from his lips, emboldened her further.

"Natasha," he gasped. "If you keep-that up-we're never going to get to the beach." One of his hands found her hair and buried his fingers in it, tugging her a little closer despite what he was saying. That's what she thought. She let him move her, her throat relaxing as she sucked him down with ease. She eased him through the orgasm quickly, her mouth warm and tight around him, her tongue coming out to trace the vein just underneath his cock as he swore and arched beneath her. "You're so good, you feel exquisite," he gasped, his eyes wide as she looked up at him through her lashes and sucked hard enough that she thought he might combust beneath her. "Oh my-your mouth is heaven and hell," he babbled. "Natasha, I'm going to come-fuck, oh."

He filled her mouth with his come seconds later, and she opened her mouth just enough to let some of it spill past her lips and dribble down her chin. As she pulled away, placing slow, sweet kisses down his cock, she caught his gaze once more as she wiped up the come with her fingers, then sucked them as slowly as he could stand to watch. His cheeks were bright red, his mind having clearly short circuited,

She couldn't resist licking her lips deliberately, delighting in the way his eyes followed the slow swipe of her tongue. "Thank you for breakfast. It was too good to waste, sir," she said innocently and he shuddered, pulling her up and off the floor to perch on his lap. He kissed her deeply, filthily, teeth and tongue enough to make her shiver atop him with arousal she'd never had to fake for him. He muttered something against her lips, something that resembled an "I love you" but she chose to ignore it. One horror in the morning was enough to deal with, two she just couldn't think to stand.

* * *

They took their time getting to the beach in the afternoon, Natasha having hidden her bathing suit from him under a black jumper in a ploy to keep his interest piqued. She had to surprise him every now and then, didn't she? Besides, the private beach that they would be going to ought not to have anyone else on it ideally, so why would she show it off to anyone else in the meanwhile? His family owned a certain portion of the beach that they were going to, a more secluded section hidden away from the prying eyes of the public, and Jean took them there along, a cooler of wine and snacks for later on, along with a couple of towels and a couple of books for the pair of them to read in case they got bored in an enormous bag on Natasha's shoulder. Never let it say that they didn't go anywhere prepared. The humidity wasn't too bad, blessedly so, making the short trek down from where Jean parked the car to the beach a pleasant one. Loki would call for his chauffeur when they decided to leave, leaving the pair of them entirely alone on the beach front when they got there. Nat had to pause as her toes touched the edge of the beach, her eyes wide behind her sunglasses as she took in just how blue the water was, and how soft the sand was between her toes.

Loki looked back at her, puzzled. "Are you alright?"

"I've never been to the beach before," she said, voice quiet as she hastened to hurry and catch up with him. "It's gorgeous."

His smile was warm, and he led her to a couple feet away from where the waves crashed against the shore. The breeze coming off the water made her shiver in the best way imaginable, the chill a welcome one in comparison to the heat of the sun radiating down at them, and they both set their towels up on the warm sand. Loki fished sun block from the bag, and motioned for Natasha to lay down so he could rub it on her.

Tricky. She smirked, and pulled at the strings that kept her cover up on, letting it fall to her feet and slipping out from it. Her bikini was a call back to the lingerie she'd worn the first time they'd had sex, deep forest green with macramé slit in the very front, while the back was done in the same pattern, though whenever it caught the light just right it glinted with gold, a nice touch she thought. It had a halter top strap that ought to ensure it wouldn't come undone courtesy of a strong wave. Not that Loki's fingers weren't just as dangerous, but still. Her bottom matched the same pattern, with the sides made of the same pattern and glinting gold whenever she moved. His jaw dropped half an inch as she bent over to stow the cover up in the bag, and when she stood back up she smirked.

"See why I wore that?" she asked, stepping over to his towel, delighting in the way his cock had begun to harden in his black swimming trunks. She palmed it slowly, having to stand on her tip toes to mouth her way down his jawline. "Would you really want anyone else seeing me like this? I'm yours, remember?" At least for the next few days.

Not waiting for him to respond she laid down on the towel, shaking her backside ever so slightly to get his attention back to the task at hand. It never failed to make her smirk that, no matter how many times her clients had seen her naked, no matter that they'd had sex, there was always something about the aesthetics of wearing a nice bra, or corset and garters, that had them drooling. The trimmings was very much an important aspect to the whole package, she supposed, and who didn't like unwrapping gifts?

His hands were smooth as they eased the sunscreen over her soft skin, Loki letting loose a low groan as Natasha visibly relaxed and gasped at how good that felt. Her backside pressed up against his hips, felt him hard once more, and wondered at just how many times they could have sex before she broke him? She was used to it, enjoyed it even or else she might not have been at this job as long as she had been, but him? He was a civilian, not near as used to it as she was. This would spoil him rotten.

That was what he'd paid for though, wasn't it? Really, what was she other than a treat for him every week, than some bonus for a job well done. He had a gorgeous girl back in his room waiting for him, ready to do just about anything, and it only lasted for the weekend, before it was back to work again.

When in the hell had she gotten to be so bitter about it all?

She forced the thoughts from her mind, closing her eyes and tipping her head to the side so she could moan freely as he worked his hands under the band of her bikini top, easing the fabric aside so he could rub the lotion into her skin. Once he'd finished with her back, and taken a considerable amount of time massaging her ass (which had felt pretty fantastic, truthfully), he had her flip over and repeated. Here, however, he snuck a couple kisses as he worked, eyes heavy with affection as he worked the kinks out of her muscles and spread the lotion down every visible portion of her skin.

When he'd finished, she repeated the gesture on him, delighting in how malleable he was underneath her hands. He succumbed immediately to her gentle massaging of his skin, to the light kisses she peppered over his shoulders. The seagulls cried above them, and the sound of the waves sloshing on the bank made her wonder how it was anyone ever left the beach. It was so peaceful. Certainly warm, but all things considered it wasn't as bad as it could've been. When she'd finished, straddling Loki so that her back faced him, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. She hadn't expected him to be able to maneuver her into his arms, let alone carry her towards the ocean.

"Wait," she looked over at him. "What're you doing?"

He just grinned, his grip on her tightening, and she shrieked when he got far enough out and submerged the both of them in the water. He released her, allowing her to rise, spluttering, to the surface. He followed just after, laughing hard as she tread water, the ocean freezing and refreshing in a way that she didn't know possible. Shoving her sunglasses up on the top of her head she glowered at him.

"You're an ass," she teased, splashing him in the face, grinning when his head turned to the side to avoid getting it in his eyes. He retaliated in kind, and they devolved very quickly into trying to dunk the other one underneath the water. Nat's lungs burned with laughter as they struggled, slick and on uneven footing given how much shorter she was. She managed to wrap her arms around his neck from behind, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking them there, but he simply stood up and walked around with her scrambling to hold onto him better. He laughed.

"Don't be afraid, I won't let you go."

"Liar," she stuck her tongue out even though he couldn't see.

"Oh please, I saved you from the agony of getting into the ocean slowly. It's much better this way, trust me," he assured her, shoving a piece of black hair out of his face as he grinned up at her. "Thor used to shove me into the water when we were younger, and it's much better than moving inch by inch until you're covered."

Nat could see that, and the image of the two boys, much younger than they were now, goofing off in the water as their parents relaxed on the beach. It softened her smile, and she pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Nice brother you have," she supplied with a snort.

He let out a soft, noncommittal sound, and the feeling changed between them. Her brow pulled down as she felt his muscles tense beneath her. He'd been the one to bring Thor up, after all. So why was Loki pouting?

"So," she started, eager to change the subject. "How far do you guys usually go? How far _can _you go without losing your footing?" she teased. "Probably not all that far."

He latched on to the excuse, stepping out further into the ocean until they were a good couple feet from the shore and he was balancing on his tip toes. Smirking, she released her legs from around his hips and managed to toe the band of his shorts down so that they slid down past his hips and ass, pooling around his knees. By the time he'd realized she'd released him entirely and was laughing as she swam back towards the shore, getting a good head start by a couple feet. Not that it helped much when he could walk and his legs were so damnably _long_. He chased her back onto the shore, and she let out another shriek as he tackled her to the sand, pinning her down beneath him, his shorts firmly back in place. More was the pity. His eyes were bright as he stared down at her, and she twisted her mouth into a small pout.

"You caught me. Now what?"

He kissed her, one hand coming to cup the back of her face, his lips soft and salty against hers. Her tongue came out to slide against his bottom lip, eager to taste more of him, and moaned when she let her in. They took their time, sharing oxygen and something that felt deeper, oddly enough, letting the world around them fade away until it was just the pair of them laid out on the beach, hands slow and relaxing as they explored each other's bodies through what little clothing they had on. Natasha hadn't done that since she was a youth, exploring the body of another girl for the first time laying back on her bed with her best friend Yelena atop her, then later Alexei, who'd worked in the same building she did.

But this was different. This was unhurried, exploratory but not needy, and there certainly wasn't the worry of being discovered. This was private property technically, after all, and Loki assured her that this small section of the beach wouldn't have been disturbed. They didn't pay for it to share, after all.

That part sounded familiar, at least. Family trait that, even if Loki wasn't blood related, he'd certainly picked up.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This chapter focuses, again, on Loki and Natasha, with a hefty amount of Possessive!Loki

* * *

The afternoon had passed on in a slow, dreamy haze, the sun having played peek-a-boo as they'd laid out on the beach for the better half of the day. Whenever it got too hot they took to the ocean, splashing and laughing without a care in the world, as if nothing else mattered between the pair of them. Lunch was a quick, easy affair, too, their food having kept chilled in the cooler that Natasha had packed for them earlier, and mixed with the wine it made for a very laid back few hours. How was it that life could be this simple, truly?

When they'd tired of the beach, Natasha's skin considerably warmer and a little more tanned (to her amazement) they'd packed up and called for Jean to pick them back up. Her phone read half past six, though the sun made it feel as though no time had passed at all since they'd gotten there, and as they waited on the side of the road she laid her head gently down on Loki's shoulder, her body relaxed right up against his. He leaned over to bury his nose in her hair, breathing deeply as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I was thinking we might go out dancing tonight, if that's something you'd be interested in?" he asked, not turning to look at her. Not needing to, he knew he had her full attention.

That sounded promising. Loud music, the familiarity of a crowd to lose herself in, and Loki's body pressed up against hers. "Yeah, I'd like that." And she had just the outfit, too. "I haven't been clubbing in a long time, so you can't laugh at me, alright?" She bumped her hip against his, lips twisted up in a half smile. It wasn't a complete lie. The party with Rhodey had hardly been a traditional club.

"Neither have I," he laughed. "So we're going to be the odd pair out, aren't we?"

She smiled at that. What a pair indeed.

* * *

Dinner was an informal affair, take out from one of Loki's boyhood haunts. The delivery driver seemed to even recognize him, which made Nat laugh quietly at how cliche it was all becoming. Though she supposed she could handle cliche so long as he didn't pop the question anytime soon. The way the vacation was going, how he kept looking at her? It might not have been so surprising, and that made her stomach knot. Still, she accepted the thai food with an easy smile, her hair piled atop her head. She'd shower once they'd finished and shimmy into her dress to keep it as much of a surprise as she could. He piled next to her on the couch, neither of them saying much as Natasha sidled up next to him, nestled underneath his arm. Every now and then he'd sneak a bite of her food and she'd nudge him with her elbow, or else distract him with a kiss to his neck so that she could stab a piece of his meal and devour it with a knowing grin before his head came back from the clouds.

"How do you do this?" he murmured quietly in one of the stretches of silence, having finished his food, Natasha close to being done as well. Now he had a couple fingers worth of scotch in a crystal glass that he was sipping at, pregaming before they went out. Might as well.

Her gaze turned to him, confusion bowing her brow. "What do you mean?"

"The whole . . . this feels so real. Not put upon. I anticipated some of this feeling, not forced per se but for there to be an underlying sense of inauthenticity." She watched as he swallowed thickly, weighing his words as she sat up a little straighter to look at him. "But with you it's-it's hard to remember that this isn't a relationship. So I guess, I'm just curious how you look at it and what you think about it."

It was a good question, something she'd never thought about before. It had never crossed her mind that anything that happened here was real. He hardly knew her, and a relationship was something where she felt she could divulge who she was, what she'd been through. It was probably because of that that she'd never really had one since she'd come to America, and even then the ones in Russia were little more than fleeting whispers between cold bodies to try and pass the time and make her feel a semblance of humanity. She pushed around the food at the bottom of her food container before slipping forward to rest it on the coffee table just in front of them.

So he felt like this was a real relationship? She wondered what he had for comparison. "I just think about what I'd like in a relationship. How I'd like to act, how to be comfortable around someone." It wasn't a lie. The warmth, the comfort that she did feel when they had quiet moments like this, that wasn't forced. And him staying with her through her brief nightmare-induced illness had been a surprising turn of events. She was sure he was thinking about that morning, about how she'd made breakfast and blew him and how they'd relaxed together at the beach. Throughout the whole thing, though, every move she made was calculated. She'd wanted to pay him back that morning for being so understanding with her, wanted to set the tone for the afternoon as playful so that she wouldn't have to worry about them fucking at the beach and getting sand everywhere (not something she ever wanted to cross off her _done _list). She snuggled up against him because she knew he craved the attention, especially from someone he saw as his brother never being able to help. The more that was revealed about her brother she wondered just how much his knowledge about her and Thor's friendship fueled Loki's desire for her.

Not that she could say anything about that all, of course.

"I want you to be comfortable as much as I am, and I guess I just get lost in the fantasy that this is more than a working relationship." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, the words simple enough and mired in just enough truth to keep him from detecting that there was more to it than that. It didn't matter that it was his fantasy, not hers, that she kept getting caught up in.

"So you fantasize about us being in a relationship, too?" he asked, his voice quiet and his eyes warm as he looked at her. His left hand found hers, locking their fingers together in a firm grip, and her heart fluttered in her throat. Oh, shit, was that the wrong thing to say?

"Loki, this is . . . complicated," she said with a heavy sigh, forcing herself to break eye contact. "Are you sure you really want to be talking about this before we go out tonight?"

She could feel the way he recoiled from her lack of an answer, from the question she was posing to him. The air crackled with the way that he kept his silence at her question. She looked back up at him, watching how he didn't meet her gaze, and instead tugged himself free once she wiggled her way out of his lap.

"I'm going to go shower," he said, voice curt, hands on the take out box and the silverware. He grabbed hers without asking whether or not she was done and she let him, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Well, what had he wanted her to say? If he was going to act like a spoiled child every time he didn't get what he wanted, there wasn't much she could do without getting his hopes up about there being something _more_, could she? And to play that idea up was damn dangerous. But to say that she didn't see this as a relationship at all, that she saw this as only work? Put her in a shitty situation, given that she was reliant on him for just about everything while they were in France. If this had been a conversation in New York, things would've been different. She might not have felt the pressure to agree with him and start playing at this ridiculous fantasy of intimacy that she'd crafted. But here, in a country where she didn't speak the language, had no idea where she was, and would have to empty a chunk of her bank account to make it back home? That was hardly a fair position to put her in, and then expect to hear what he wanted to and call it the truth.

Her teeth clicked as her jaw tightened, and she stood up to go shower in one of the separate rooms, grabbing her clothes out of the spare bedroom and making one quick alteration to her original plan of what to wear. He wanted to play games with her, put her in between the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea? They'd fucking play games then.

* * *

The first time she'd met Thor she'd been on her tip toes, struggling to reach her coffee at the top of the shelf and _really _how fucking rude was it that even with fucking six inch stilettos and on the bottom rung of the shelving unit, she still couldn't reach the stupid Starbucks Sumatra blend shoved all the way at the fucking back of the topmost shelf. When she came down, arm aching from stretching so high, she had half a mind to kick the damn shelf, make it fall down so that she could step around the wrecked other products and just grab her coffee and be done with it. Had her shoes not been patent leather, and the nicest thing she owned by far, she might've.

"Need some help?" The voice was warm, bemused as all get out, and when she turned to see the man who'd asked her it completely fit the behemoth of a man in front of her. His shirt was the color of a stop sign, and his jeans clung to his hips like it was their job, though he wore it with all the grace of a king, and his smile was kind even though his eyes told her he'd seen her entire struggle.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, her desire for decent coffee in the morning outshining her hatred of being looked down on and laughed at. "Please. Apparently, only tall people deserve Starbucks."

She meant the words to come out as a joke, though they had a bite to the very end of it that made him laugh. He stepped up to where she'd been just seconds ago, and by grabbing one of the taller packages, managed to scoot the last of the Sumatra to the very edge where he could snatch it with his waiting extra hand. Her hero. She smiled and thanked him when he stepped back over to her, his grin an easy, reassuring one that held little judgement now.

"I see why you were having a hard time, that fucker was back there."

"Right? I told you, it's a tall person privilege to have good coffee, but I wasn't about to spend my morning with Dunkin or Generic," she whispered the last word as though it were a curse. Once again he laughed, corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth as he introduced himself. Thor. It certainly fit him, she supposed, a good, hefty name that spoke of tradition. His grip was strong when he shook her hand, and she offered to at least buy him a coffee for saving her from having looked more of a fool than she had already.

It had been easy to talk to Thor, far easier than she thought it ought to have been, and though she might have teased him for ordering an Oprah Chai, he took everything she doled out in stride, even dishing her sass back at her when he could. She appreciated that, and after the two had exchanged numbers and promises to do it again, she watched him sidle off to the exit of the grocery store, the color of his shirt making it difficult to keep her eyes off of him.

Nat had come to learn it was something of a calling card for him, the color a representation of everything that he was: brash, bold, and warm. Irrefutably so. She'd be lying if she said she didn't appreciate how he wore his emotions and personality, literally, on his sleeve. It was never something she'd been able to do, but certainly she admired him for his strength and confidence, and wasn't red the surest color to embodied all of that?

* * *

Natasha thought that Loki might cancel their outing given his foul mood, but when she heard nothing except a tap on the door of the bathroom she'd relocated herself to, asking if she was about ready, she answered in the affirmative. "Five more minutes," she promised, having already let her hair out of the curlers she'd brought, letting it relax while she finished up her make up. Minimal: eyeliner, mascara, some gloss. Her face wasn't going to be the highlight of the evening, oh no. As she adjusted her dress, tugging them hemline _just _a half inch lower so that her cleavage was even greater than before, she couldn't help but smirk at her reflection. Brazen? Just a little. She slipped on a pair of Louboutin that she'd bought as a congratulatory gift to herself for having landed her contract with Loki. She was just glad she'd bothered to pack them, as well as this dress, as a sort of backup in case she ran out of things to wear. This was better, though. The toes started black before slowly fading into a bright red near the heel, and the high heels would at least help a little to keep her neck from cramping up too much when she stared up at him. The dress fit her like a glove, perfectly accentuating her ass and her bust, while the wide shoulder straps helped to keep from making her shoulders look too broad.

The firetruck red color, too, made her grin. She popped her lips once, the gloss not so sticky as to make her feel like she was wearing a lacquer, but it was enough to accentuate her full lips. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and put on her best shit-eating grin after spritzing a light perfume free after her last extensive trip to Victoria's Secret. She snagged her clutch before she left the room, the slim, black, patent leather accessory just large enough to hold her phone, some cash, and ID but little else. Her heels clicked on the expensive wooden flooring as she stepped out and where he'd be waiting at the main entrance of the mansion, her eyes seeking him out. His attention was diverted to Jean standing just beside him, but once he did catch sight of her-.

His breath visibly caught in his throat, pupils dilating even as he took in the bold color of her dress. His own outfit was rather dashing as well, though if not a little bland in comparison to her own. He'd picked a fitted, dark grey button up, the first button undone and his sleeves rolled up to show his long forearms. The tails were tucked into a pair of black dress slacks and black, polished leather shoes, not unlike those he wore the first time they'd met, and she was glad he'd forgone the vest and jacket this time around. She couldn't imagine it would be comfortable, and the last thing she'd want to deal with would be a cranky date because he was overheating.

"Natasha," he barely got out before she got to him, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, her right hand resting on his shoulder. "You look spectacular." Still, she didn't miss the critical eye he turned on her dress. She stood up a little straighter because of it, her own gaze amused and goading. She was terrible for doing it, for provoking him when he was footing the bill, but dammit all if he was going to put her in an awkward position then she'd use it for all it was worth.

"Thank you, as do you. Shall we?" Her eyes flickered towards the door, where Jean had gone to stand, and without waiting for him to say anything she strode off, her ass swaying in a way she knew would force him to follow, even if he didn't want to. She seemed to have that effect on him.

True enough he followed, opening the door for her as Jean moved around to the front of the car. Natasha slid inside, shutting the door behind her and forcing Loki to get in on the other side, her smile telling him that she knew very well what game it was she was playing. And she intended on keeping it going. The hard set of his jaw, when he moved to the other side and got in, the door slamming shut with more force than strictly necessary, told her he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

What an interesting evening they were in for.

She leaned back in her seat, her breathing slow and unhurried, her face tipped to look out the window, before he reached over and grabbed her by the jaw, turning her head to his. "Are you enjoying yourself?" His voice was a growl of possession, frustration, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Quite. Aren't you?" she arched a brow, tongue flicking out across her bottom lip. The gloss tasted like vanilla, and his eyes fixating on her mouth told her he was looking for a taste, too. She tugged away before he could get one, her eyes hooded and smile wry.

"You're going to have to work much harder than that, Loki," she said. Some part of her hoped he'd play along, that he wouldn't pout like a spoiled child. It'd only make the game short lived, and frustrate her to high hell because of it. But no, the longer she stared, the greater the spark of intrigue and arousal grew in his eyes. Good. His tongue ran over his lips, wetting them before he smirked.

"You really enjoy playing with fire, don't you?"

"Only when I think I'm going to be burned."

The car pulled up to the curb of the club just in time, and she smirked as she opened her own door and slid out, the exit perfectly timed to leave him in her wake of her words. God, she really hoped this didn't backfire. She could already hear the pulsating of the club in front of them as they stepped to the entrance, the bouncer taking a look at them before letting them in without question. Loki dipped his head in thanks, thumbing through a wad of bills to pay the cover, while Natasha flashed the bouncer her most dazzling smile, sauntering past Loki and moving towards the bar. The club itself was already dark, the black lights of the dance floor just bright enough to illuminate the floor, though the bar was done up with blue light just beneath the edge, outlining the black wood. She wouldn't go overboard, but a drink in her hand and simmering in her veins would help embolden her. Too many and she'd overplay her hand, but just enough to help fill in whatever infinitesimal holes in her confidence that were there.

"Are you going to buy me a drink?" she asked, looking back at Loki.

He smirked. "Why would I do that? You want to be so independent, buy your own."

Oh please. She rarely ever bought her own drinks, and even if she didn't speak the language she didn't imagine France would be all that different from America. She winked. "Have it your way. Bye." Waggling her fingers, she headed towards the packed bar, managing to find an empty spot and waiting to catch the bartender's attention. As it turned out, she didn't need to. A man in a light blue cut off and a pair of grey shorts with a buzzcut sidled up to her, flexing as he did. He rattled something off in quick French that had Natasha laughing nervously.

"I'm so sorry, do you speak English?" she asked, allowing a blush to spread to her cheeks.

Cut-Off grinned. "You're American? I didn't know they made beauties like you in America."

Thanks. "Surprise," she laughed.

"Can I get you a drink?" he asked, words slurring together, and not just because English wasn't his primary language. She nodded, asking for a vodka neat, and she watched the bartender pick up the bottle of Grey Goose with a wink directed at her that her company didn't catch, the man having simply thrown a couple bills to the bartender when he'd named the price. Well, she appreciated that.

"So, what made you come to France? It's not spring break," Cut-Off said, flexing again to show off the tanned muscles that sprawled up his arms and thick neck. He looked freaking ridiculous, and her smile wasn't entirely genuine as she gave a slow, one shouldered shrug.

"Never had a vacation before, thought I'd see France. I like it so far."

"You picked the best country, of course you like it." He grinned when she got her drink, watching her take a sip. He opened his mouth to say something, but she simply walked away without bothering to wait to hear it. Whatever. She'd gotten her drink, she didn't need him. He slung what must've been a curse at her and Natasha let it bounce off her well-defined rear. He was an imbecile if he thought he had anything to offer her. She continued to sip at the drink, noticing that Loki had since disappeared. A slow chill crept down her spine, wondering if he'd just dumped her at the club. He wouldn't have, not being as possessive as he was, and so she endeavored to enjoy herself, taking her time sipping her vodka and watching the ever growing crowd on the dance floor. A high energy pop song, one she recognized as something Darcy had played on repeat one slow afternoon, filtered in with the previous song. The song had been an apt one to play at their establishment, the lead repeating that they were feeling herself. Apt, she supposed, given the way the evening was playing out. She started tapping her foot along with the beat in no time. Polishing off her drink in one swift swig, she deposited the glass on the empty table she'd sat down at and headed out onto the dance floor. She caught sight of Loki when she passed, watching some other girl who looked far too wasted to be standing grinding up on him, her skirt riding up way past her thighs. Natasha's eyes connected with Loki's in the brief second it took for her to pass him, an eyebrow rising in her amusement, before she turned away to make her way further into the crowd. So he was going to play, then.

She stopped only when she got close enough to the speakers to start mixing her heartbeat up with the pounding bass that made her bones shake and let her body take over from there. Her hips grinded to the beat, arms rising up above her head as she gyrated her body to the beat. It hardly took half a minute and she felt a warm body pressed up against her. This guy was cute, to be sure, his skin dark and gorgeous, brown eyes meeting hers as he grinned broadly down at her. She could feel his muscles on his arms as he moved both of his arms on her waist, his hips moving with hers to the quick beat of the song, and her breath caught in her throat to feel the heat and strength of him up so close against her. He leaned in to kiss her, and she turned her head to the side. Ohhh no. She wasn't that stupid as to think that would fly. His lips instead moved to her neck and she wasn't going to deny him that, her back arching when he found a spot on her throat to suck gently on.

She hadn't had near enough to drink to allow him to do that, whether she was working or not. "Don't leave a mark," she found herself calling back to him, not sure if he could even understand her, but he pulled away a second later. He hadn't sucked nearly hard enough to do anything, and instead they carried on dancing through the next couple songs. She could feel his cock through his dark skinny jeans, rubbing up against her as as she ground herself back against him, throwing her arms up and around his neck. His hands moved upwards, gravitating towards her breasts, but she took him by the hands and redirected him instead. She song had slowed down considerably, one she didn't recognize, and she threaded their fingers together as she moved his hands to her backside. She ran her palms up over her ass, before firmly planting his hands back on her hips. There, that was all he was getting. His laugh was soft in her ear, and he was whispering something in rapid French that was giving her goosebumps. Why was it she wasn't permanently moving here, again? Free drinks, and the nightlife was killer. Maybe she could retire early and move here instead.

Hah, hilarious.

She thought she felt eyes on her back and with ease she twisted in the man's grip, coming to face him and grind up against him. Her eyes scanned over his shoulder and found Loki's hard gaze zeroed in on her with enough intensity to tell her just what he thought about that. Her partner hardly noticed, his hands running up and down her back, stopping as soon as he hit the very top of her ass before his fingers gravitated upwards again. Loki's jaw set and Natasha would by lying to say that it wasn't a huge fucking turn on to have him watch as her hips moved with her partners, bucking up to meet his. Her new partner wasn't so tall that she had to crane to see him, and she ran her hands up through his short hair, amazed at how soft his black curls felt against her fingertips, running her nails down the base of his neck to make him shudder in her grip. He returned the favor, scratching his fingernails down her back and she let loose a soft moan that made his pupils dilate further as her pink lips parted wide.

Was that enough teasing for Loki, she wondered? As the song started to speed up again she broke away from the man. "Thank you so much," she said, hoping he understood, but she gestured to where she'd seen the bathroom. "I've gotta go. Thanks." She flashed him a smile and squeezed his shoulder before she started to make her way over to the bathroom. She didn't have to look behind her to know that Loki was following, and bit her bottom lip as excitement heated the blood in her veins. To her amazement there wasn't a line to the girl's room, so grateful to slip past the door with a lady's figure on the front. The stalls were mostly empty, but she didn't have to wait long until Loki stormed in after her and pushed her towards the larger stall. It was cleaner than she was expected, and he crowded her up against a wall, his lips finding hers and devouring her whole with a heat not unlike the sun. His hands roved her body.

"I hate this," he snarled against her lips when they broke for air.

She smirked, tasting him and her lip gloss on her tongue. "You love it, and you know it. You know I'm yours. You love watching these men fall over me, knowing they all want to touch me." She cupped her breasts, as though she was offering them up to Loki, before turning and pressing her ass up against his already hard cock, straining at the black of his trousers. He ground back, trying to put his hands on her. She grabbed him by the wrist and had him slammed up against the wall behind them in a matter of seconds, so quick that he looked a little star struck.

"You love watching me entice them, knowing I'm coming home with you." She licked a slow stripe up the side of his neck. "You love knowing that even though I'm wearing Thor's color, I'm yours, Loki. All fucking yours." She palmed his cock and he groaned low in his throat, trying to buck his hips into her touch. She pulled away, tugging herself just out of his reach, and smirked once again. "And I'm not near done teasing you just yet because you don't want me to be done yet. Do you?"

His eyes were lidded, his tongue thick and pulse jumping into his throat as he watched her grin curl dangerously. "No," he finally managed to squeeze out. She knew it, and with a flounce in her step she left him there in the stall, heading back out to the dancefloor.

* * *

She felt his eyes on her for the next couple hours. They interacted every so often, flitting back and forth with one another, flirting shamelessly as though they didn't know each other when they did. He ended up buying her another vodka after teasing her for not knowing French enough to order her own, and after she'd finished it pulled her out to the floor. She let him. She'd run him around more than enough already, and the heat curling in her belly at the possessive grip he had on her waist was doing awful things to her own sense of self-restraint. He had her pulled up tight against him, his cock pressed up against the cleft of her backside, and she couldn't stop but groan when he brought his hands to her hips and pulled her back against him hard, a pantomime of how she imagined he'd fuck her that night. Perfect.

"You come here often?" she asked, licking her lips as she looked back at him, carrying on the farce to see just how long he'd let her.

He cracked a laugh through his parted lips. "Now that I met you I just might," he promised, his hips a heated counterbeat to the pounding rhythm of the music filtering through the whole club. Nobody else mattered, just the pair of them, just his gaze locked on hers and his skin against her own.

"Really?" she couldn't help but laugh. Where was the silver-tongued man she was so used to being around, who could sweet talk a rock into falling in love with him?

"Certainly. There's something about you that's unapologetically magnetic." He leaned in to kiss the top of her head, breathing her in. She'd thrown her hair up into a ponytail, and felt his warm breath on her throat. She shuddered. There he was. "I don't think I could be parted from you even if I wanted to be. You are gorgeous, beyond compare, and you've bewitched me. You've got me completely in the palm of your hand." He caught her wrist and brought it up to his lips, kissing her wrist. She tried not to groan too loudly. Fuck. "And I want to show you just how good I can make you feel, since you've already got me on cloud nine."

She was nodding before she knew better, damning herself for not having worn panties. Between her thighs was slick with arousal, and she whimpered when he ran his teeth over her throat. "You'll be a good girl for me, won't you? I've proven myself, haven't I, now?"

"Yes, God-_Loki _yes."

He had her following him out half a minute later, Jean somehow already there with the car. Loki opened the door for her and Natasha, pliantly, slid inside. She'd done enough fighting to last her the rest of the evening, now it was time to enjoy what that'd brought about.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying it!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So. This is all smut. All of it. All 3k words of it. I'm sorry not sorry.

* * *

They hardly make it back to the house before Loki's shirt came off, and he herded Natasha up the stairs and towards their bedroom. She kicked off her shoes the minute they passed the threshold, and his hand found the zipper of her dress. Loki all but ripped it down so he could slide it off of her and marvel at the beauty of her bare body before him. Undergarments were overrated, though now she shivered at the mixed cold of the room and heat of his stare. Not giving him much time to come to his senses, she bounded up the stairs towards their room, hearing him groan to watch her go before he chased after her. As ever, his long legs helped him to catch her around the middle just before she got to the door. She thought he might heft her up into his arms and carry her in himself, but he simply pressed her up against the wall instead, unable to wait, unable to stop himself from crushing his lips to hers and slipping two fingers inside of her in his haste. She keened, breath stolen by the kiss and the pleasure that made her dizzy. He pumped his fingers eagerly, digits sliding into her with ease and angling just right so that they brushed against her apparently hypersensitive g-spot, her toes already curling from the attention and pressure.

"F-fuck!" she bit out, pulling away from him to gasp. "Fuckfuck_fuck_." She was going to come, and come hard, if he kept his up, and he was showing no signs of stopping or slowing. If anything, he sped up all the more, his eyes meeting hers.

"You want to come, Natasha?" he asked, voice little more than a purr as his forehead pressed against hers.

"Y-yes," she stammered, panting and searching for some sort of sign, some hint at what he was going to do next. Leave her just on the brink of orgasm . . . was not what she had in mind, and she very nearly screamed in agony as he withdrew his hand from her sopping wet slit just as her orgasm had started to make her vision go white. He settled her back down on her legs, wobbly though they might've been, and smacked her on the rump.

"Go lay down on the bed, on your back," he ordered, voice like poured sin. She shivered, waiting perhaps a moment too long before she did so. If there was an extra spring in her step . . . . well she was excited. The growl that left his voice when she turned around to look at him all but made her heart skip a beat before she hurried inside and shut the door behind her. It wasn't part of the command, but then she wasn't sure what excited her more: knowing that she'd riled him all the way up when they were out in the club, or that she could still push a couple buttons to keep that fire going. The words he'd whispered to her, while very pretty, she doubted would be taken into account once he actually got his hands on her. Hell, she was counting on it, hoping he'd be a little more rough, hoping that might solidify in his mind what sort of relationship it was they had.

Still, she moved to lay on her back, kicking the covers to the bottom of the bed and relishing in the soft sheets just beneath her. She breathed slowly, running her fingers over the fabric, feeling it, enjoying the moment while she could.

At least a minute, seventy or so slow, steady breaths in and out, passed and still he didn't come in. Was this her punishment? Nonsense, she couldn't imagine he'd want to forgo sex, not as riled up as she'd gotten him that evening. He was wise to her games, but that didn't mean he wouldn't still play along so long as he got his in the end. Right? He didn't strike her as the type. So why in the hell was he taking so long?

When Natasha didn't think she could take it much longer, and started sitting up on her forearms with half a mind to track him down and take him to task for leaving her on the brink of one of what had felt would be one of the best orgasms, when the door opened. He stood, shirtless, in the doorway, a pair of thick, leather handcuffs in his hand that sent shivers up her spine. Oh, that was promising. She didn't say anything, her lips pursed as she watched him stalk closer to her.

"On your front," he ordered, voice soft and curt, eyes bright as he watched her obey without another word. "Arms up, above your head, my girl."

She tried not to groan at the term of endearment, burying her head in the blankets as she did so. The leather was chilled against her skin, butter soft and strong. Strong enough to keep her in line, right where he wanted her, her arms hooked to the rungs of the headboard. She tried not to shiver.

"Is your safeword still the same, love?" he purred. She nodded. Oh yes, very much yes. Anything for this to get going a little faster. She tugged at the restraints, testing just how far they'd let her go. It earned her a hard smack on the ass. Her back bowed with the movement, mouth opening as she panted against the bed. She liked to imagine how red her ass had become, the impression of his hand stark against her pale skin. He liked her in the color then, did he? She bit her bottom lip, muffling a groan as he skated his hands up her spine, fingertips edging up each bump of her spine, stopping only to grab a fistful of her hair. She gasped as her eyes sought his out, pupils blown to high hell. Loki's mouth found hers, kissing her like he thought to strip the air from her blood, biting her lips so they swelled, red and sensitive, beneath him.

"I'm going to fuck you like I own you," he purred against her lips. "Because you're mine, Natasha, aren't you? Lovely little _cocktease_ that you are. You told me you were _mine_, and now I'm going to make good on your promise."

"_Yes_," she groaned, salivating at the promises he kept making her, Loki moving away from her mouth and pushing her head back towards the bed to keep her gaze off of him. When was he going to make good on his word? If she had to wait much longer she was going to burst to flame in his grip. She'd made him wait, at his own request of course, but still. Was he going to emulate that? Brat.

The bed shifted, and she felt the skin of his thighs brush up against hers as he widened her stance just enough that he could slip between them. His breath ghosted over her back, hands having left her hair to massage her backside, fingers feeling as though they were taking her muscles apart. She groaned to feel his tongue on her skin, lips suctioning to the soft skin of her hip, teeth biting into her flesh to bring blood up to the surface. She bit into the mattress to keep herself from shouting at him to keep going, a low groan instead coming out of her mouth as she forced herself to breathe normally. Her wrists began to ache from trying to tug them downwards, but the wood of the headboard and the metal just beneath the leather cuffs held fast.

"You're so eager, now, to meet my vengeance?" Loki asked, sounding like his lips were twisted up in a grin. His voice was a couple octaves lower than normal. She could practically feel herself getting wetter as he spoke, trying to rub her legs together to give herself some of the delicious friction she needed. She was half tempted to lower her hips to the mattress and grind against it as it was. As though he'd read Natasha's mind, Loki slipped a finger inside her, not near enough for what she wanted but it would do. The digit slid into her with ease, Natasha even wetter than she had been before, and when her body clenched around him Loki hissed through his teeth. "God above you're desperate for it, aren't you? For my cock, for me to fuck you."

She nodded her head, trying to turn it to look at him, only to have him shove her head back down so that her forehead hit the cushion. "Yes, please, _please_. I need you to fuck me _now_." She was babbling, voice rising as he started to pump the single finger inside of her a couple times, then removed it as swiftly as he'd pushed it in. She could hardly even get a whine out to protest the loss when she felt the same digit, slick with her arousal, press to the pucker of her ass, teasing the sensitive skin before pressing slowly inside.

"Fuck," she groaned, the word broken into a slew of syllables as he eased it inside her, and she struggled to remain calm enough to take it.

"Do you like it darling?" Loki sounded nearly as wrecked as she felt, though he seemed to be trying his best to keep from showing it. She grinned, and wiggled her backside in front of him, pressing back so that he filled her to the knuckle.

"I need more, sir," she begged, voice breathy and listening for the telltale hitch in his own breathing that told her she'd struck a nerve. Yep, there it was. He groaned, and she felt the head of his cock being pressed up against her soaked slit, pressing just the tip in. Just enough to make her keen and rock back against him to try and get more. Anything more.

It earned her a swat on the backside with his free hand. "Manners, Natasha. You need to say please if you want more," he commanded.

Fucking _ego_ trip. Not that it wasn't hot but dammit she needed him to fuck her about half an hour ago, not make her work for it! "Please. Please fuck me, Loki. Please, God I need it so badly, need you so badly. Just you-_oh_."

He slid into her in one easy thrust of his hips, cock hitting all the right places that she needed, filling her just enough that air was nearly impossible to come by. There was the sound of a bottle being uncapped, and a cold, sticky liquid was smeared just over her ass, the sensation causing her to arch back all the more. Goosebumps ran up her spine as Loki kept his pace slow, and teased her ass with the tip of his second finger. He murmured for her to relax, pressing the second finger just inside her and she shuddered at the sensation of fullness. She could take more, would if he'd offer it, and the way he kept scissoring his fingers made Natasha think he meant to. All the while she felt her pleasure beginning to coil, thick and heavy as rope, in her belly, traveling up her to her sternum and wrapping around her lungs until breath became difficult to come by. It was all she could do to pant into the pillows and mattress beneath her as he kept up the slow and steady pace, the slap of his flesh against hers, the soft panting coming from his lips. He managed to push a third finger into her, expanding them so that she was starting to see stars just on the edge of her vision. He'd not done this before, and while it wasn't out of her contract (because she really did enjoy anal the few times she let herself relax enough to do it), she hadn't expected him to do it. Hadn't thought he'd be into it, that he'd be more generic than he was revealing.

It just proved what she knew, she supposed.

Nat was just on the cusp of an orgasm, her breath more difficult to come by as her vision began to go white, when he pulled his fingers out of her ass. "Seriously?" she breathed, swallowing her words when he thrust hard into her once more, then pulled himself out. Oh, not okay-not okay at all! She turned her head to look back at him, mouth open to complain, only to have him bark: "Hey, head down."

Her teeth gritted loud enough that she was sure he could hear it. She had been so close! This was ridiculous! But still she followed his orders, forcing herself to count down slowly from 10 to 0, letting her breathing ease up with it. Edging wasn't something she was so familiar with experiencing herself, most of her clients on limited time to do the deed and be done with it, so to have him take his time, tease her up and down and make her all but beg for it? It was a bitter pill to swallow, she had to admit.

It'd be worth it, she promised herself. And if it wasn't she'd take herself to task once he'd fallen asleep. He'd never let her down before, though, so she could only hope that he wasn't going to this time. Still, the minutes stretched on for decades as she heard the rustling of the bed sheets and felt the familiar warmth of his body leave her. There was something he'd placed just beside the bed that he was rummaging around in now. Her curiosity demanded that she peek at what it was, but the thought of getting caught kept her head buried in the bed to keep it a surprise. More lube was poured over her ass, the viscous liquid sliding down into her slit so that she shuddered and groaned at the sensation. One of his hands, right she thought given his position, rubbed slowly over the taut skin of her behind, kissing just above the base of her spine.

"I need you to relax for me darling. Can you do that?" he purred against her skin, as though that was going to help.

Still, Nat willed her lungs to inflate with a slow, even breath, nodding quickly. "Yes sir." She could at least try. That'd count for something, yeah?

She did her best to keep her muscles at ease, but when the blunt, pointed tip of well lubed silicon pressed against her ass she couldn't help but tense up. His hand shifted upwards, pressing on the tightened muscle of her shoulder. "Ah-ah, darling. Relax for me. You need to calm down." He kept his voice quiet, pure silk over the stress of her body at the rather large intrusion, and though she let out the breath she'd been holding it was through clenched teeth. Fuck, had she known that he was going to pull this out she'd have prepped herself beforehand.

Something told her that this, the blurring ache that began to ripple up her body as he eased it in, inch after inch, was the point of it all. It wasn't all that long, only feeling odd because she hadn't done it in so long, but once the thick base had been pressed into her, leaving the thin stem of the plug behind, she noticed that there was something else about the toy. With every breath she took there was a ball just inside the silicone plug that shifted, the weight pressing the plug a little further inside her than it had been before every time she canted her hips forward, and when she leaned back ever-so slightly the weight moved with it. Her lips parted in a groan of surprise and Loki grinned.

"Perfect. You're so beautiful my girl." He all but moaned the words, parting her cheeks and massaging the tense tissue there until she was putty in his hands. With every motion of his fingers the ball moved within the plug, the constantly shifting weight distribution keeping Nat's arousal steady.

"Loki," she gasped when he hadn't touched her for what seemed like eons. "I need you inside me. I _need_ you, just you. Please, love." Maybe it was a little much to tack on that word, but her brain wasn't computing properly, wasn't thinking everything through, short circuiting to get him back inside her as quickly as possible. She was gasping for it, body starving for more stimulation, and as she begged and pleaded for him to fuck her again she felt the weight on the bed shift once more. He leaned over her, the length of his cock pressed right up along her slit, his body warm against hers. The pressure of his hips against hers forced the plug further inside and she couldn't stop herself from sobbing with pleasure and desire. She was going to lose her fucking mind if he didn't get on with it!

"Say that again," he begged, kissing her shoulder blades.

"Love," she stammered, "Loki. Please, love, I need it, need you. Need you so bad I can't see straight." She couldn't hardly see period, forehead pressed into the mattress to keep him from seeing how wrecked she really was. This wasn't calculated lust, wasn't pretend or well constructed affection. Her body felt stripped, her bones bared to him as he hunched over her body, seeing her at her lowest, neediest self. He bucked his hips forward, his dick teasing her aching slit, soaked in a matter of seconds. The movement caused the weight to displace and she let out another sob of pure want.

His left hand guided his cock into her with startling ease, and she about broke right then with how fucking perfect that felt. He fit within her, shoved straight back to the hilt, as though he'd been made for her. "You love this, don't you darling?" he asked, voice broken as he thrust swiftly into her, further starving her lungs of oxygen. "I was made for this, made to _fuck_ you, to made to bend you over and take you like the wanton brat you are." His next thrust was stronger than the past, right hand pressing new bruises into her hips. She didn't care for once, didn't mind it, too busy arcing back into him and blinking back the tears that had long since poured down her cheeks. "Your body demands my attention, my affection, and I'm happy to give it to you. Give you _whatever_ you want. Just be mine. Be my love." He caught her by the hair, and her body went willingly with his hand, bending backwards just enough so he could kiss her hard on the mouth, tasting how bad she needed him on her tongue.

She couldn't think other than to babble on, a steady stream of "Yes, yes, fuck, Loki _yes_" leaving her with every thrust he made into her. The past two orgasms were nothing in comparison to what he was building her up to then. This was a damn religious experience, this was him taking her to church, splitting her soul open with his bare hands, and sucking her sin from her body inch by inch. This was him fucking her within an inch of her life so that she saw heavens gates beckoning just before her eyes.

The pressure that'd coiled within her reared its head and struck, spider quick, with a venom that had her screaming as her whole body clenched around him. The noise echoed in her ears, in his chest, and he was coming alongside her without her hardly even noticing, his lips whispering praise in her ear.

"Such a good girl for me, darling, oh _God above you_ feel so fucking good. So good, _bloody fuck Natasha_!"

She whimpered when he bit down on her shoulder, the pain lancing through her body so quickly she hardly noticed, his hips stuttering as her body milked him for all he was worth. Her wrists ached, and had they not been protected by leather the cuffs would've cut through her skin. As it was she'd have bruises well earned all over her body. He took a moment to compose himself before sliding out of her, and shifting his weight towards the headboard undid her bindings. Her body went lax, his own hands catching her and easing her down onto the soft bedspread. In the back of her mind she realized she'd actually torn a hole in the blanket with her teeth. Whoops.

Nat's lips opened to apologize, but he swallowed her words with a kiss, unhurried and heated. The plug was still deep in her ass, and she found it wasn't uncomfortable once she got used to the way it moved. As she moved onto her front Loki let out a soft groan.

"I wanted you open to take me in the middle of the night my good girl," he murmured against her ear. "But I'm afraid you might have worn me out for the rest of the evening, sleep or not. Are you okay to sleep with it in?"

She nodded her head slowly, curling a pillow up underneath her, eyes blinking slowly as she watched his figure move to turn the lights off in the room, grinning to see the full body blush that still plastered itself to his body.

He curled up just behind her, the weight and heat of his body a welcome comfort she relaxed into, her body telling her to let go of everything that might've kept her awake, if only for a night. She owed it to herself.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Again, another heavy Nat/Loki chapter. Many apologies about the long wait between chapters. I'm just trying to get into the swing of things with work, and trying to find a better paying, "big girl" job that actually goes along with what I went to school for (English) . . . which isn't all that easy, ngl. But fingers crossed that things will get better!

Hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks for being patient with me 3

Also, the standard warning of every year: NaNo is coming up this November, and I am attempting to finish up my first novel before setting out on this new one for NaNo. So, that's another reason why my updates may be few and far between. I'm so close to finishing it I can't hardly stand it, so I do ask that you be patient with me as I try to finish that bad boy up before I become immersed in my next project. And of course, once NaNo starts I'll be concentrating on hitting 50k words within the month, so it's always up in the air just how much ficcing I can get done. Thank you all for being understanding!

* * *

The sun wasn't even up when she heard her phone go off, or maybe that was just because of the thick curtains that Loki had drawn around their bedroom. To her side she heard Loki groan as she fumbled around in bed to try and get to wherever it was her phone had gotten to. How had it even gotten in their room from last night? She didn't remember bringing her clutch into the room, or bringing much of anything with her. If anything it ought to have been downstairs with her dress-. As she slipped her eyes open enough to grasp at the vibrating phone on the side table, though, she caught sight of that draped over the chair in the corner.

Jean, must've been. She tried not to flush at the possibility that he'd heard everything that'd gone on the night before. Nat didn't think to look at the caller ID, simply sliding the unlock button and slipping the phone to her ear.

"Mm?" she hummed as way of greeting.

"Nat, evening to you, too," Thor's voice sounded exasperated on the other end. "It's like, nine at night."

Was it? Her eyes slid over to the clock on the table and frowned. No it wasn't. "No. It's like, three in the morning." Her brain had yet to turn on, but even she could read the numbers on a clock. "Thor, you're usually in bed by now. What's up?" she had to fight off a yawn with the back of her hand as she struggled to extricate herself from Loki's grip. He groaned again, trying to pull her tighter.

"Tell him to go away," he said, voice quiet against her skin. She batted at his hands, not noticing that Thor had gone silent.

"Where are you?" Thor asked, and Nat felt her blood chill.

"At my conference. Hold on just a second," she said, keeping her voice quiet as realization started to hit her. Thor, it was _Thor _she was talking to, Thor who didn't know that she was abroad until he looked at his phone bill and realized that he was getting charged for international minutes. Oh she was fucked. She stood up and padded to the bathroom, closing the door behind her as Loki muttered for her to come back to bed. She just had time to put her hand over the bottom of the receiver in time to hopefully keep Thor from hearing it. "Sorry, met a guy," she murmured once she'd disappeared, tucking herself back just beside the toilet. Funny how she kept ending up here.

"Really?" he asked, and she knew his eyebrows had risen up towards his hairline given how amazed he sounded. "You met someone?"

"Hey, don't be rude." She let herself smile, telling herself that it was alright, that he hadn't heard anything. "And I think I had too much to drink if my threes are starting to look like nines."

He snorted. "Don't you mean nines like threes?"

Yeah. "See?" she laughed quietly. "Sorry. Everything going okay there?"

"Yeah, of course. I was just wondering how you're doing, how everything is with you. You've been busy I take it?"

She cleared her throat to keep her from yawning. "Yeah, pretty busy. There's a lot to learn here. How to be a better customer service rep, all that good stuff." She rubbed her eyes to try and wake up further, forcing her eyes to stay open even as exhaustion battered away at her conscious now that the scare was over. "How're you and Sif doing? Everything going well?"

He gave a soft hum on the other line, the one that meant she was over and he couldn't talk about it, but that there was something he definitely wanted to talk about. "Yeah, things are good."

She couldn't help but worry at that. Good didn't mean great. "Wanna get coffee when I get back? We can talk more then-I'm really beat, Thor, I'm sorry." She hated to cut it off, but the fear of what she might say once her eyes started to droop again was too big of a risk. She'd have to be more careful about things like this when she was on Loki's allotted time, too. She supposed they'd never talked about that, what would happen if she wanted to make personal plans on a weekend. She wasn't so certain that he'd be understanding about it, or that he'd let her all the time without making up for it. He wasn't paying for her to stay out with other people, after all.

"Yeah, sure thing. That sounds nice. You sure your schedule will allow for it?" his voice made it sound like he was teasing her, but she knew better than that. Knew it must've stung him that she wasn't always able to take time off for him. With fewer clients, though, she should be able to.

She let herself smile, her words transforming with it. "Hey, I'll be back soon. Everything's gonna be alright."

There was a soft laugh coming from Thor's end and it made her heart hurt to hear it. "Yeah, yeah. You have a good night and enjoy your guy. I won't keep you much longer."

"Have a good night, Thor," she said, and clicked off as soon as he repeated it. Once more she found herself experiencing nausea, though her mouth didn't water this time with an impending load of bile. She hated lying to him, hated that she couldn't talk him through whatever was wrong. It just wasn't the place, or the time, for it. And what was happening with Sif? They'd looked so happy last time.

Her mind wandered, wondering if it wasn't Loki coming back that was making Sif anxious. Still, it was something that they had to get used to, all of them, and if it was making Thor happy to have his brother back, so wasn't that good? Perhaps not.

Loki had rolled over onto his back by the time she'd shimmied out from where she'd sat in the bathroom, his eyes only half open, obviously trying to keep from falling asleep. "Who was that?" he asked with a yawn, smiling and leaning up to kiss her when she crawled atop him, over the blankets, before moving to her side. The plug jostled the whole way. She'd hardly noticed it before, but now that her heart was slowing down to a much more manageable rate she found it hard not to.

"Thor. He wanted to know how my conference was going." Why did she sound so hung up about it? Besides the fact that she felt anxious about lying to him, of course. Spinning her own version of the truth was fine, but talking about being a better customer rep? Where had that come from? Oh she was screwed. Besides, part of her swore he'd recognized Loki's voice, no matter how quick and quiet it'd been. God, she hoped not, hoped if anything he just wrote it off as a fluke.

Loki's lips descended on her shoulder as soon as she was under the covers, his body pressed right up against hers, his length growing stiff against her leg. One of his hands moved to shift the plug within her and she let out a low hiss of surprise, the skin tender around the thin stem.

"God, I loved watching you walk away with this in. The gem caught the light _just _right. You've never been sexier, my darling." he growled against her skin, teeth nipping at her shoulder until it peppered with gooseflesh.

That earned him a low laugh, even if she didn't entirely feel it. "Never? Not once, in the countless times that you've had me, have I been sexier?" She leaned over to lick a long stripe up his throat, listening to the way that his breath caught in his throat. "Not when you had me pressed up against the wall of the spare bedroom in your brother's room, my dress hiked up around my bum, your come leaking out of me?"

His groan was broken, his hips rocking against her leg, pressing his now solid cock against her soft skin. "Fuck, Natasha-."

"Or," she continued. "When you had me my first night, trussed up and waiting for you? Fucking myself back on your cock because _you _wanted me to? Calling you sir, minding my every move because I knew it made you happy?"

He growled once more and the noise was a bolt of arousal between her legs as he flipped her over onto her back, claiming her lips with his own. He slid into her with ease and she let out a guttural groan as he filled her with one solid stroke. Her hips jerked upwards, her mouth falling open, and her hands clung to his back, searching under the covers for his soft skin. Just because he took it slower than normal didn't make it any less intense, and in no time she had stars dancing at the back of her sight and her moans had grown higher pitched as she chased her orgasm, and he his. His eyes never left hers the whole while, and when she came he could barely manage to ask that she keep her eyes open. It wasn't the easiest, not given the intensity of the pleasure making her body go tense. She managed, though, cupping the side of his face with one of her hands as the other tore into his back. She didn't feel blood, but his skin must've been raw given the hiss he let out. She let up, but he stopped a couple seconds later.

"Aren't you going to-?"

"Turn over for me, darling?" he asked, voice low, nipping at her earlobe and pulling out of her with a groan of his own. She whimpered at the loss, the sensation of being so damn empty, but she obeyed without hardly another word. He shifted beneath the covers, moving over to his side to grab what she assumed was lube given the snap of the cap as he opened it. Two of his fingers, slick with the lubricant, slid over her hole, easing the way for the plug to slip out. She bit down on her pillow, still, at the minor discomfort it caused her before it was pushed out of her mind by the pressing of Loki's cock to her hole. There was the sound of his hand spreading more lube on his dick, just to make sure, and she was grateful for his consideration as he slid slowly into her. Her nails dug into the bed and she moaned as she tipped her hips backwards to take him all the way in. If she'd thought the plug had felt good it was only a hint of what was to come for her, and she groaned as he picked up the pace not long after, chasing the edge of his orgasm. One of his fingers, slick with lube, came to stroke her clit in gentle, teasing circles, his body covering her small one entirely as he leaned over her.

"This is how I want you, how I love to have you. Wanton for me, groaning for me," he hissed in her ear, nipping at her earlobe before pulling back and pulling out of her with a groan. She whimpered. "I want you open for me, waiting the whole time, desperate for me to come and fill-you-up." He slipped back into her, emphasizing every word with a jolt from his hips. Nat could only hold on to the bed for dear life, her hips pressed up against his, legs tight together to better clench around him. He hissed again, the movement of his hips stuttering as he chased his finish, and with a cry he came, filling her up. Nat groaned, low in her throat, as her body relaxed around him. A slow dribble of come left her the same time he did, though he was keen to press the plug back into her, stoppering her up.

"You're mine, Natasha," he moaned, sitting back on his haunches and palming her ass, massaging the tense muscles until her knees gave way and she relaxed on the bed. "For as long as I can have you, you're mine."

"I'm yours," she repeated, knowing it was what he wanted to hear, and when she turned her face to look back up at him she saw a grateful smile ripple across his face. He relaxed next to her, kissing her slowly and wrapping his limbs around her to hold her through the rest of the morning.

* * *

As he'd promised when they'd first gotten to France, Loki took Natasha out shopping after breakfast. They'd been rather slow and sluggish at getting up that morning, Nat not having slept all that well, and Loki having been exhausted from their early morning activities, especially in conjunction to the previous time they'd done it. Not that Nat was protesting the dull ache that had set into her muscles whenever she moved, her backside perhaps a little more tender than normal, but it'd been worth it she had to admit. The premise of going out and seeing the town for what it was, too, was enough to put a new pep in her step once he offered the idea to her as they'd sat down to eat.

A little before noon Natasha dressed herself in a pair of black skinny pants, a faux leather black top, and a pair of strappy sandals, and she followed Loki out to the car parked out for them in the driveway. It was a relief to see that once Loki had woken up he seemed happy enough. Her hand found his. "So, you excited to spend all your money on me?" she teased him, winking even if he couldn't see it behind the sunglasses she'd perched on her nose.

He snorted. "I'm not quite sure that's possible."

"Doesn't mean I can't try," she sing-songed the last word. She didn't even want to think about what that might entail, actually making a dent in his finances. If he hadn't batted an eyelash at bringing her along, footing the bill for everything they'd done so far, she doubted that an afternoon of shopping would do much. "Do you know a lot of the shops here?" It wasn't like she could call his mother and ask where she recommended, which was unfortunate, but between Google and Loki she hoped she'd at least find a couple of good places.

"A fair few. My mother used to drag us along when we were boys to make sure that we stayed out of trouble." His smile told her that there was more to it than just that, and Nat couldn't help but smirk.

"Let me guess: you both still managed to find your way into trouble after all?"

His head dipped down, his laugh an acknowledgement that she was absolutely right. Not that it was particularly difficult to guess. If he was a handful as it was right then, she could only imagine him in his youth. Thor, either. They both had boundless energy, so for them to be young, and trying to keep them under containment, would've been a monstrous task she wouldn't have wished on anyone. Frigga was a much stronger woman than she would ever be.

"You know my brother and I quite well already," he murmured.

Nat offered him a shrug but said little else. She knew enough to make assumptions when it came to him based both off of what it was she had encountered on a one on one basis, and what she'd heard from Thor, who was always keen to paint a fun-loving and mischievous picture of he and his brother's childhood adventures. Not that Nat hadn't already seen them in action, and between what she knew of Thor and what she'd seen of Loki it was a damn miracle that Frigga had gotten anything done. The poor woman.

'Add that as another tally for why I don't want kids,' she couldn't help but think.

Jean drove them to one of the centers of the city, the various shops bursting with color, their doors wide open to accept in the warm summer breeze and shoppers. Natasha felt giddy with anticipation, hardly able to stop from bolting out of the car before Jean had even pulled into a stop. It wasn't often that she got to go shopping with such few restrictions. Though she made a fair enough living for herself, most everything had to be bought with the mindset that it was for one event or another, and more often than not she didn't get to wear it too long after showing it to a client. If it was exceptionally expensive she would return it the very next day after making sure that it was still in top notch condition. There just wasn't enough justification for buying and keeping everything. But this? This she didn't have to worry about her money being squandered on clothing, not when Loki was so keen to foot the bill. She ignored the gut question about just _why _he was so eager to keep spending money on her in favor of grinning over at him as he came to stand behind her, and tugged him by the wrist after her. "I hope you're ready for this," she teased him. "It's not often I get to do this."

He laughed, and his face lightened up considerably with the sound. "I'm prepared, I assure you." His hand found hers and their fingers threaded together for the briefest of moments, before she pulled away from him to latch onto the first rack of clothes. She pushed her sunglasses up to better inspect the vivid skirts in front of her, biting her bottom lip in serious consideration as she heard him greet the shop owner. The fabric felt like water between her fingertips, and she found one in a deep green that she had a sense Loki would love. What was more, it looked tight enough to conform to her body, which would only make her backside look all the better. She grinned, picking out a couple that looked to be her size. She'd have to try them on to be sure, what with the differences between the European cut of clothing and the American, not that she imagined Loki would mind. When she looked back over at him his expression was still light-hearted.

"Find something you like?" he asked as he paced closer.

She hid the skirt behind her, lips twisted in an impish grin. "Oh no. It's a surprise. You'll see it," she winked, careful to keep it hidden from his view as she moved towards the blouses, finding a beige one that felt just about as soft as her skirt. Slowly, she gravitated towards the dresses, unable to help herself. She'd always been a fan of them since she'd been a little girl, and when she'd gotten old enough she realized that a woman in a pair of pumps and dress could get about anything she wanted. So, naturally, she had more than a dozen of them for both her professional life and her personal life.

And there was a gorgeous white and black lace design that had her name written all over it. The top was practically see through around her breasts, though it was just opaque enough to keep from showing her nipples, and the waist was able to be adjusted and cinched with a black, lace bow at the very front that would keep it from gaping or poofing out in any way. The bottom was black lace, almost sheer if not for the skin-toned skirt beneath it that would give it the illusion of showing off her skin without being as risque. She needed it. Before Loki could make his way over from where he was looking at the men's side of the store she snagged one off the rack that looked close enough and made her way towards the nearest attendant, a tall, blonde woman who looked near Natasha's own age, to ask for a dressing room. Thankfully, the woman's English was much better than Natasha's French, and she helped to make sure that Nat had, indeed, picked out the right sizes before setting her up with a room.

As she'd suspected, the skirt clung to every curve of her ass, and she couldn't help but stop and stare at her reflection in the mirror, the beige top tucked into the high waist of the skirt. Damn, she looked good. A knock at the door stopped her gawking.

"Can I get you anything, madam?" the attendant asked, a smile in her voice.

"Do you have a pair of black pumps, ahh, US size nine and a half? A nine will work, too." They were mostly for show, anyway. Shoes she could never bring herself to return, and when she splurged she made sure she had more than enough for every outfit possibility.

The woman gave a hum of approval and disappeared from the other side of the door, reappearing with another knock a couple minutes later. Natasha was already in the black and white lace dress, and graciously accepted the shoes before asking the woman if she could step inside. She wanted to surprise Loki as much as she could, but still, a second opinion would be nice.

The woman's eyes near popping out of her head was as good a sign as any. "I've seen dozens of women try that dress on since we got it a couple weeks ago," she said. "And none of them look as good in it as you do."

Well then. Natasha's cheeks burned and she grinned in spite of herself. That was nice to hear. She murmured a quick thanks as she slid her feet into the pumps and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She'd have to be careful to make sure that Loki knew this wasn't something he could carelessly try and tear off of her. Nat would kill him if he did anything to it, because _damn _she looked good. Really good.

"Is there any way we can bag this up before he sees it? I want it to be a surprise," she said with a grin to the attendant, who nodded.

"Of course, not a problem. Would you like the other outfits packed up as well?"

Natasha nodded, looking at herself once more in the mirror, drinking her fill of it. It hugged every line of her body without revealing too much, but still showing just enough that it'd make Loki's jealousy flare up. If they went out to eat while she wore it he'd be forced to let the heat simmer within him until they got home. That, in itself, was worth it. She shimmied out of the outfit, not all that shy about baring her body in front of the attendant, and didn't note the way the woman kept sneaking looks at her. Heh. Maybe she should set up shop in France every so often. See what Emma thought about setting up a second location.

"Why do you bother wearing clothing at all?" the woman asked as she folded up the dress, and the skirt and blouse that Natasha had picked out before.

Nat, who was just slipping on her shirt, then her pants, looked over at her with a grin. "You know, some days I wonder the same thing." She turned to survey the attendant once again, watching how her pupils were dilated with something akin to curiosity and interest. "What's your name?"

"Yelena."

Something inside Natasha ached at the name, twisting and stabbing at her stomach lining, and her own former interest fizzled away. She turned away with what she hoped looked like an apologetic, embarrassed smile. "Yelena, you're very sweet, but I'm not right for you my dear."

"Oh, I didn't mean to insinuate-." The girl was spluttering, her cheeks reddening, and she excused herself with a flourish of French that Natasha didn't understand, closing the door quickly behind her to allow Natasha a few minutes of privacy. For that, Nat was grateful.

She leaned against the wall and bit the inside of her cheek. She still had the pumps on, and slid out of them slowly to press her feet flat against the cool tile flooring. The cold grounded her, allowing the breath to seep into her lungs easier than before, so that by the time Loki was knocking on her door, asking if everything was alright, she didn't sound like a wreck when she answered. "Yes, I'm fine. Be out in a second."

He gave a hum on the other side of the door. When she stepped out the look look he directed at her was that of concern. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Sticker shock." She waved a hand, as though she could simply dissipate the supposed worries she'd had over the price of the outfit with a simple gesture. "I just. You don't have to buy anything for me. Not really. I have more than enough-."

He pressed a fingertip to her lips. "Natasha, I want to. Please, just let me buy you a couple of nice things." His smile was genuine, and though it didn't chase away the pain that had started to subside within her, it did help to numb her to it.

"If you insist."

She let him kiss her and lead her back towards the front counter, but Yelena wouldn't meet her eyes when she wished them both a wonderful afternoon and handed Loki the bags. Natasha thanked her quietly, twining her arm with Loki's, before they both stepped out.

"Don't peek in the bags, okay?" she told him, gladdened that her voice sounded lighter than she'd expected. "They're a surprise for you."

His eyebrows shot upwards and his grin spread across his face. "I've never been good at waiting for surprises."

"Well you need to now," she insisted, snagging the bag from him and moving towards the car that Jean had parked. She'd stow it in the trunk, then, Jean having left the keys with Loki so that they didn't have to lug everything around whenever they bought something. It was beginning to make Natasha wonder just who else he'd taken shopping in Paris, given that he was Loki's exclusive help.

Not that she had room to be jealous, she reminded herself. That was ridiculous to even think about, and she was beginning to wonder who exactly it was she needed to worry about falling into this ridiculous fantasy: Loki, or her.


	14. Chapter 14

She saved the dress that she'd bought for the last evening in France. He'd offered to take her to Paris for dinner, and though the idea was tempting to say the least she'd insisted on a nice, formal evening out in Nice. She didn't think he'd want to wait with a long car ride, and given how tight her dress was there wouldn't be any way to fool around without destroying it. She'd be damned if that happened.

Much to her surprise he'd gone on ahead of her, promising to send Jean back for her once everything was ready. His wording had turned her stomach, which must've made it to her face because he'd laughed, assuring her that he wasn't proposing. She'd barely been able to keep from looking too relieved. It had helped her to calm down, though, not having to worry about him spoiling the surprise of how amazing she looked before she was ready. As with the red dress she'd taken a multitude of precautions to keep him from seeing anything until she was ready, so by the time she was dressed, her hair and makeup done, she could hardly stand waiting to see how he reacted. She wanted him to feel that he'd gotten his money's worth out of this trip, wanted him to keep their arrangement going because it was going to mean a much nicer standard of living for her, and so many more doors could be opened. Besides, Thor hadn't called either one of them since the one time he'd caught her by surprise, and she was choosing to take that as a great sign. Everything was working out, would continue to, dammit all. She'd gone above and beyond to make it so.

Jean came back for her quarter past nine, and even his eyebrows shot up when he caught sight of her.

"If it's not too forward, madam, you look stunning," he complimented. She didn't think she'd ever heard him speak so much.

That made her laugh, and the tension between her shoulder blades lessened incrementally. She couldn't help but bob her foot the whole ride over, trying not to ruin her lipstick by chewing on her bottom lip the whole while, hands near wringing in her lap.

The restaurant that Jean dropped her off at was lit up, yet empty. She knew it was early, still, for the dinner crowd, but still. For such a place to be wholly devoid of people? Surprising. Unbelievably so.

The heels of her black pumps clicked on the stone flooring as she followed the lights inside, led further into the restaurant by the friendly hostess who'd greeted her at the door. Loki sat at the only table set up for dinner, and he stood as she came closer. His jaw dropped, which made her flush and straighten her back, perhaps more than strictly necessary, her breasts straining against the lace confines.

"You never stop taking my breath away, you know that?" he said when she came closer, pulling her chair out for her, and pressing a slow kiss to the back of her hand. She thanked him quietly, smiling when he finally managed to close his mouth. He looked incredible as well, the smooth cut lines of his black suit making him unbelievably tall. He'd managed to slick his hair back and tamed what curls he had so it fell in easy waves. There was a nervous energy about him, though, even if she couldn't imagine why. The music filtered softly in the background while the server came out with a bottle of red wine that Loki had gone ahead and ordered. Nat couldn't help but order a couple fingers of vodka to go along with it, though. It might help settle her own nerves, her old adage of not drinking when with a client so far out the window it wasn't even in the same country.

"Here's to our last evening in France," Loki said, their wine glasses clinking gently when they toasted. "Thank you for agreeing to this adventure."

Now there was a good word for it. Her smile was demure as she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "Thank you for inviting me. I've loved it here. It's so relaxing." The look Loki shot her was skeptical at best, causing her to laugh and shake her head. "You know what I mean. Every moment in between bed, just about, has been relaxing. And in bed-I think exhilarating might be the best word for it."

His lips cracked into a wide grin. "I'll drink to that."

She smiled, mouth opening to say something when the waiter came back with food and Natasha's drink. She frowned, not having ordered-or having even seen a menu-but supposed that Loki had gone ahead and ordered for the pair of them. Oh well, might as well let him have what control he wanted. It was as much his evening out as it was hers. The salad looked delicious either way, bright greens interspersed with nuts, ruby pomegranate seeds peeking through the leafy composition for a pop of color and flavor, with a delicate vinaigrette on the side. Loki and Natasha ate in quiet for the most part, though she could hardly say Loki was focused on the food. His eyes wouldn't stop wandering. Couldn't, even.

"That dress is a vision on you. It's driving me mad," he growled, voice just loud enough for her to hear, after they'd finished eating.

She didn't flush, just smiled, her tongue flicking out against her bottom lip. He inhaled sharply. "You ruin my dress," she started, voice matching his volume. "And I'll kick your ass."

"I'll buy you as many more as you want so long as I can rip them off you."

Nat tried not to snort, but it was hard. "My, you're romantic tonight."

"I can't help it," he admitted with a laugh, his voice lightening as he took another sip of his wine. "There's something about you, Natasha. I can't get you out from under my skin, and everytime I look at you-. It's hard to explain." He paused, chewing on the inside of his cheek as Nat felt her heart beat harder against her chest. He better not be seriously considering doing something drastic, not when they were having such a good time, not when things had been going so damn well. "I don't suppose you'd like to quit your job and just move in full time, would you? Let me provide for you? You could do whatever it was you wanted-."

She held up a hand, breathing in sharply. Nope. No way. She was going to put a stop to this before he got talking and managed to twist her own ideas of what she wanted to match his. "Loki, let me stop you. I like what I do. As strange as it sounds, I . . . like my job. I'd not have met you if I didn't do it," she reminded him, her smile turning playful as her hand found his. He allowed her to intertwine their fingers, though his lips were pursed. "I'm not someone's kept woman, and even if you say that's not what this would be, that's how it would feel." She kept his gaze as long as he would allow, tipping her head to catch his eye when he looked away. "I really like being with you, Loki. You're exciting, you're amazing in bed, and you and I have this ridiculous chemistry that I'd be an idiot to deny is as addictive to me as it is to you. But I'm my own woman, and to agree to a situation that I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with wouldn't be who I am. You wouldn't like me when I'm bored, or not myself, and that would be what would happen if we were to live together and I was to give up working. I'm eager to make this new situation between you and I work on the weekends, but that's all I can promise is a few days in a row every week. I can't make it a lifestyle, though you flatter me with your offer."

She barely dared breathe once she'd finished talking, the heat rising in her cheeks. To even think about not working while being with him was terrifying. She'd be entirely at his mercy, as she'd been when she'd pissed him off before, but it would never end. She was so sure he'd see everything he'd done for her as a favor to be repaid, and if she wasn't working she'd just fall into further debt to him. Sex would stop being pleasurable, but more of a job than ever, as she'd owe it to him rather than being able to decide when and how she wanted it. At least this way, with him as a client, no matter how strange things got she could always break their contract.

She wasn't so sure she'd be able to do something like that if she moved in with him on a permanent basis.

"This is what I love about you," he finally said, his voice low. He squeezed her hand. "If I'd have proposed that to just about any other woman, I believe they'd have taken me up on my offer. But you don't see me as some endless bank account to be expended at your every whim." His grin was genuine, but the look in his eyes terrified her. Love was a helluva strong word to use for the pair of them, she felt. "I respect your decision, of course. It'll make the time we do have together all the better, and certainly we'll both have something to look forward to. It should help to make the week pass more quickly."

Did he expect her to stay in every weekend? They'd have to talk about that on a different day. She didn't want to rock the boat too much tonight. She smiled, grateful that he hadn't flown off the handle either way, and something in her gut relaxed because of that. "Exactly. Not to mention, I'm a huge slob. I didn't show it this week, but trust me," she winked. "I'm not the neatest of roommates."

He let out an appreciative laugh at that, and the atmosphere between the pair of them relaxed considerably. Though they'd hardly touched their salads, the second course came out shortly after, and their conversation moved onto more pleasant topics.

"So I'm thinking about taking classes at the community college," Natasha said after smiling at the waiter, who'd set down a plate of seared sea scallops in a light sauce. Loki had opted for the same thing, and he looked up from cutting into his dish.

"Really?" he asked with a laugh. "I can't think of anything less appealing than going back to school."

Yes, well he hadn't had to scrape by, had he? She put a polite smile on her face. "It's different when you want to," she teased him. "I've not really had the opportunity and I want to at least get my Associates."

That softened his expression considerably, and he swallowed the bite he'd taken before speaking. "I'm sorry. That's very astute and forward thinking of you, truly. And adorable, I must add." He winked. "I'd be more than happy to offer you my tutoring services."

Hah. "You'd like that?" she purred as she looked up at him through her lashes. He squirmed under her gaze, and she slipped her heel off so she could run the flat of her foot against the inner side of his left leg. He stiffened, mouth falling open for the slightest of moments as she managed to angle her body so that her foot slid up his inner thigh, and stop just short of his groin. "Professor Laufeyson, come to ensure that I get all the nuances and important information from the lecture, spending all hours of the day privately, thoroughly, teaching me. I can be a difficult student to sit down, I must warn you."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." He was growing red around the collar and she bit back a laugh. He was cute when he got flustered, and it wasn't anything she was used to.

Still, it begged the question. "Loki, you don't happen to have experience in a relationship such as that, do you?" she asked with a grin. "A teacher of yours, perhaps, that caught onto how bright and perceptive you were as a student and decided to take you under her wing? Or his?" The ball of her foot pressed right up against his cock, feeling that he was hard as hell underneath the fabric of his trousers.

He coughed, trying to mask the way his hips bucked closer at the attention. "Her," he said, the color in his cheeks darkening. "Angrboda. She was my languages professor in my first year at school. She was . . . abrupt, but she knew what she wanted, and she didn't let anything get between her and her desires."

Admirable of her, then, to take advantage of a young, impressionable Loki. Natasha frowned, pulling her leg back. "If it's a bad memory we don't have to-I didn't mean to insinuate-."

"It's not bad, it's just complicated," he assured her, cutting her off. "It'll be better with you because, well, I actually understand myself now. I'm not some wide-eyed imbecile, angry at the world and looking to piss my parents off." He paused and allowed himself a revelatory grin. "Well, not entirely."

That made her laugh quietly, but she still watched him and his reaction, how he calmed down as soon as she backed off but didn't meet her gaze for some time. Her hand found his and squeezed. "We can do just about whatever you want, Loki. I'll never push you to do more than what you're comfortable with."

Oh, how things managed to come full circle.

* * *

Natasha was glad that they'd opted for a nearby restaurant, as Loki could hardly keep his hands off of her once they were in the car. His every action had a ring of desperation than it had before, even more so than when they'd come back from the club, as though he was trying to get the memory of Angrboda out of his system and replace it with Natasha. Any other time she might've put on the brakes, made him slow down until he worked everything out himself, but now? He needed it as badly as she needed him inside her, needed to burn the past from his mind in favor of something far better. She supposed she was the best woman for the job.

Still, she urged him to at least take a breather once they got to his room, pushing him backwards onto the bed so he could sit. "Just watch," she said, voice low. She slid out of her heels, one by one, taking her time and making sure to exaggerate her movements so that his gaze followed the stretch of her legs as they nudged the shoes off to the side. As she worked to ease the zipper down the back of her dress, peeling the garment off inch by inch, she imagined how his eyes widened when he realized that she had the same plug he'd put in her the night before snuggly back in place. She'd thought it might be a welcome surprise, and he audibly groaned when she turned around and wiggled her bum for him as she stepped out of her dress, biting her lip and grinning at the sound.

"You're perfect. Have I told you that?" His voice sounded wrecked already and she hadn't hardly touched him. Hanging the dress over the side of the bedroom dresser, she ruffled her hair and turned back to face him.

"You might've said something like that before," she said, walking closer and dropping to her knees before him. Her red curls fell over her breasts and her eyes were bright as she looked up at him, fingers inching up his thighs towards the buckle of his belt. As her hands worked to undo it, she mouthed along the line of his cock, feeling it throb beneath her touch. His breathing got harder as he took enormous fistfuls of the sheets, as though to keep himself from hurrying her. Wasn't that sweet of him? She grinned and hastened to undo his belt, button of his trousers, and fly, before he lifted his hips to allow her to slide his pants, and boxers, off in one fluid motion. Her mouth watered as she looked up at him with a coy smile and pressed unhurried kisses along his cock, flicking her tongue out to swirl around the head and delighting in how his back arched yet his eyes never left hers.

"You're so good at this, Tasha," he moaned when she opened her mouth and took him to the root in one fluid movement, her tongue laying flat against the vein near the head, applying pressure until his breathing broke and she could practically see the flush beneath his shirt. Speaking of which.

"Take off your jacket and shirt, leave the tie," she said when she pulled away, own cheeks warm from a lack of constant oxygen. She took him in once more, bobbing her head shallowly, as he worked. Her hand came to cup his balls, squeezing them gently, as he jumped as though she'd burnt him. His jacket hit the floor beside her, button up and undershirt following, but the green tie-she wondered if he even had any other ones that weren't black or green-stayed loose around his neck.

With one last bob of her head, she pulled off of his cock and stood, aligning her legs so that they pressed into the bed on either side of his own. Her breasts pressed up against his bare chest, and she slipped the bottom of the tie around her fingers as she aligned her hips with his own, the tip of his dick, slick from her saliva, rubbing against her clit. It made her breathing catch in her throat, moving her hips so he could feel just how wet she was from having blown him, and when she finally took him into her body with a simple swivel, her name was the only intelligible thing he shouted. With one hand on his shoulder, balancing her, and her other wrapped around his tie and pulling him as close as she could, she rode him as quickly as she dared, alternating between bouncing herself on his cock and taking him slowly, rotating her hips so that she felt every inch of him pressed right against where she needed him. His pupils were blown, his eyes glassy, and he seemed incapable of intelligent thought as she worked, changing her technique and speed just often enough to keep him guessing. He tried to buck up against her, to take her by the hips and command her to pace, but she wriggled out of his hold and pushed him back. He hit the bed with a surprised "oof," and she released his tie to turn around and set her hands on his knees.

"Fuck-god dammit you're so beautiful," he stammered, and she shifted herself forward to give him an unimpeded look at the gem of the plug.

"You think so?" she asked, her own voice husky. "I can always take it out."

"No, no please don't," he said quickly.

"Then keep your hands to yourself," she said, looking back to smirk at him, before picking up the pace once more.

Admittedly, she hadn't anticipated him undoing his tie, looping it around her neck, and tugging her backwards with it, throwing her rhythm off as she fell back with a squeak of surprise. His right hand massaged her breast, pinching the nipple until she squirmed, as he slid them forward, planted his feet, and pumped up into her. "It's impossible to," he moaned in her ear. "I love it when you take control, darling, but it's my turn."

Mmm. Well, alright then, if he insisted. She moaned and spread her legs a little wider, shifting her pelvis to take him in all the deeper. He groaned in her ear, nipping at the earlobe, as his pace picked up. "You feel like heaven around me, darling. You're so tight, so wet. Like you were made for me to fuck you, to rule over your body as I see fit." He lowered his mouth to her shoulder, biting down until she shouted. There'd be a bruise there in a few hours. "You've ruined any other lover for me, Natasha. I can't get enough of you, and I don't want anyone else. Ever. Just you."

"Ng, you-too," she panted, shutting her eyes as she felt her nerves begin to go crazy. She tightened around him and he let out a hissed curse. His thrusts slowed down, became more powerful, and the hand that had been playing with her breasts shifted down to tease her clit instead, rubbing two fingers around the sensitive bundle until she started to vibrate atop him. Her mind was a mess, Nat hardly able to do more than moan and gasp for air as he went on, the words babble in her ears in comparison to the rush of adrenaline and pleasure that clouded every other sensation except for the feel of him inside her.

When she came it was with a shout, tugging at the tie as she tried to sit up, but instead he tugged her back down and muttered for her to turn her head. His lips found hers and the kiss was searing, ripping at her seams and yanking her in every direction all at once as she struggled to come down from the high of her orgasm. He followed her shortly after, not wasting time reaching his completion. Nat had to say she was grateful for that. Her whole body felt wrung out, though she couldn't put her finger on why. It wasn't as though sex every day was a new thing for her, but for some reason or another it just felt like this had been a great deal more than she'd ever done before. Emotionally, of course, but physically as well.

She collapsed back on him, letting him roll her over to the side, his fingertips dancing on the edges of her exposed arm, lips tracing slow, measured kisses down her spine and between her shoulderblades.

"Sleep now," he murmured. They'd already packed in preparation of flying out tomorrow, so for once she let herself follow his order without thinking, easing into her sleep with a smile on her face. This she could do. He pressed himself up against her, and between his murmured words and the comforting heat of his body beside hers she found herself drifting off to sleep without having to even think about it.

* * *

She hated-hated, hated, _hated_-waking up early. She was pretty sure she'd made that much obvious the first time they'd flown, but apparently Loki hadn't gotten the message. Four in the morning came around again this time, and she was roused awake by a less than chipper Loki murmuring that she needed to wake up. At least she could smell coffee being made somewhere downstairs. Their belongings had been brought down to the car, all she had to do was get there in one piece. Loki didn't seem near as excited to get going as he had been when they'd left the States, and she figured she was right to assume that the flight back would be a far more muted affair. She hoped so, at least. She was sore from the night before and couldn't keep herself from yawning even as she sipped at her coffee. It was so good, far richer and not near as bitter as what she was used to, that once it had cooled down it wasn't long before she'd guzzled the whole thing.

"I don't suppose there's a way to get more of their coffee, is there?" she asked Loki with a small, hopeful smile as buckled themselves into their seats on the plane.

Her question was met with a laugh. "I'll get Jean to send some over, how's that?"

"You're the best." She leaned in to kiss his cheek, and he allowed it, not going for anything more. She put the armrest up and leaned against him as they took off, the fingers of her hand threading with his, her eyes closing as they lifted off and headed back home. The coffee had warmed her up, and Loki's hand in hers was another comfort that she was rather enjoying. Only eight more hours of it, then they'd separate until the weekend and do it all over again, in a sense.

As soon as they'd touched down Loki called a cab to take both of them home. No use for Jean, Nat supposed, when the easiest and fastest way to get around in traffic was a bright yellow car. Though they'd both slept on the way back, Nat was sure she could get away with pulling a Rip Van Winkle and sleep for a hundred more years. Loki had dark bags under his eyes, which meant she was sure he felt the same. She was dropped off first, and though she insisted he couldn't drop her off at the door (just on the offhand chance that someone she knew saw and told Thor) he didn't let her get away without kissing her goodbye, taking his time with it.

The cabbie at the front cleared his throat, pointedly not looking at the rear view mirror but not able to sit there in silence as Jean had. Nat flushed as she pulled away, stammering a thank you, before getting out to collect her things. They'd have to work on the whole privacy thing. Though they'd been together before in the States it felt different this time, like a shift had gone through their lives, unsettling everything that had been there before, and she hadn't even noticed until then.

Maybe France hadn't been such a good idea after all.

That thought wouldn't let her go back to bed, but it was six in the morning. Not exactly the most opportune time to have company over, or make any calls. To keep busy she ran a few loads through the laundry, made herself a pot of coffee that just didn't have the same zing to it its French counterpart. Still, she wasn't in France anymore, she was back home.

By seven she left a message on Emma's voice mail at the office, telling her that she'd made it back safely, and she could transfer the rest of the money owed to Nat to her bank account upon completion of the job, as they'd discussed. By eight, she rang Thor, not sure if he'd be awake but at least she could try.

To her amazement his: "Good morning Tash," sounded . . . chipper. Awake. That wasn't normal to say the least.

"I didn't wake you up?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Nah. Early morning errands had me up a couple hours ago. You home now?"

"Yeah. Was wondering if you wanted to get a drink somewhere, or come over. We can talk, if you're not busy."

He had a smile in his voice when he answered: "Not busy at all. Starbucks down the street ok?"

She agreed to it, and in a half an hour found herself seated outside the cafe, a macchiato in hand, sunglasses on as she basked in the heat of the sunlight. Autumn was quickly approaching, and while she loved any and every excuse to start wearing warmer clothes everything just felt a little, well, off.

Until Thor sat down opposite her, of course. His smile made her feel as though the sun was a couple feet away from her, not hundreds of thousands of miles. "You look chipper," she said with a laugh as his hand found hers and squeezed it gently.

"I am, I'm glad to see you back in once piece," he said as he released her hand and leaned back in his chair. "How was the trip?"

"Really interesting, valuable," she said with a nod, sipping at her coffee in between sentences, going for nonchalant. "Met a couple of interesting people. Networked."

Thor laughed. "Oh, is that what we're calling it now? What was his name?"

"Which one?" she smirked.

His laugh echoed between them again and when she joined in she felt her heart lightening. Not that it lasted long, of course. Aside from the quick catch up there was a reason that they'd met for coffee further away from his home than strictly necessary. As they got to the near end of their coffee Nat reached out to ask him about it.

"So, what's wrong with you and Sif? What happened?"

He didn't look at her, his gaze lingering instead on his cup of coffee as his fingers tapped against the edges in a slow, unsteady cadence. He had that look on his face that meant he was struggling with figuring out how to word something, and she didn't press it, letting him take his time to come clean to her. She looked away, thinking that at least turning her full attention away from him might help him regain some sense of privacy, though not being able to read everything that played across his face was frustrating.

"Well, it's not really a secret that she doesn't get along with Loki," he started off, clearing his throat and taking another sip of coffee, as though he could sap the heat from it and turn it to courage. Maybe she ought to have bought him a beer. "And it's been wearing at us lately. Me, because I want her to understand that Loki has changed. He's a better man than he has ever been. He's happy now, he's working and in a good place. He's stable. She won't let bygones be bygones, I'm convinced." He bit his bottom lip. "And Loki's part of the family. He's my family. If she wants to be part of it, too, then she should accept him, shouldn't she?"

Well, Nat had a good idea as to why he was happier than he had been in a long while. A good fucking on the regular would do that. "Well, I can't say. I'd think that accepting him would come with the territory, but if she's known him for as long as she's known you, and they've never seen eye to eye, then there might not be anything to be done about it." She ran a finger along the rim of her coffee cup. "Some people just aren't meant to get along, you know? That might call for some compromising on your end, too."

One of her hands reached out to take him by the wrist, her thin fingers wrapping around his enormous wrist. His eyes found hers and she felt bare before him. Nat's breath caught in her chest, feeling her ribs tighten around her lungs, as she tried not to let herself get unnerved. "I'm just saying that you might want to think about what you're willing to concede. If she means alot to you then that means for every concession you expect her to make, you better be prepared to do the same. But that's something you two will need to work out, you know? I can't tell you what to expect from her the same way I can't say what you should be prepared to give up or compromise on. But that's what relationships are all about, isn't it? Compromising?"

It would make sense why she'd never been very good at them, at least. He bobbed his head, his lips pressed in a thin line, before he twisted his hand to squeeze her own. "You're an amazing friend, Natasha. I'm lucky to have you."

"Damn right," she winked. As simply as that the tension between them broke, and he was back to his usual grinning self. He had the day off and they agreed to go out to do a little shopping, Nat admitting that she had little in her apartment left to eat, but when she looked at her bank account the amount deposited was not near what it ought to have been. She frowned, cycling through the deposits as though she could easily find the discrepancy, or could figure out if the payment was pending and hadn't gone through yet.

"Everything okay?" Thor asked when she didn't get into his truck, having driven rather than take a taxi.

"I just didn't get reimbursed for everything I was supposed to yet," she muttered, her mind working quickly as she exited out of the bank ap and made a mental note to talk it over with Emma. That wasn't going to fly.

Thor laughed. "You only just got back. You okay to buy groceries? Need me to cover you?"

She shook her head. No, she had more than enough, but that didn't change the principle of the matter, did it?


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This chapter features Natasha and Clint, though nothing sexual happens between the two of them, and then phone sex and dirty talk between Loki and Natasha during the second half. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Readjusting back to life at home, in her apartment, was strange to say the least. She had her list of clients lined up for the week now that she was back, having taken what was left of the past day and a half to get acclimated, but it didn't feel as though it'd wholly worked. It still felt as though she'd wake up and be back in France, as though that had been the reality of her life and this? This was all some sort of surreal experience.

It started to pass once she made her way back to work, though, her feet knowing the way even without her paying attention. She sipped at her coffee, red lipstick blotted at the lip of the travel tumbler, and smiled when she caught Darcy's eye just behind the entrance room counter.

Darcy's eyes went wide and she stood up to embrace Nat when she got close enough, careful not to spill Nat's coffee. "Hey! Holy crap, how was your vacation? You look tan-did you go to the beach?"

"Yeah, actually," Nat said with a grin. "Can I tell you about it at lunch, though? I've got a meeting with Emma." Her boss hadn't replied to her voicemail, or the emails that Natasha had sent her in lieu of a response. Half of the promised money had found its way into her account, but she wasn't in this business for half. Emma knew that. So why was this shit happening?

"Sure, of course." Darcy's eyes looked a little surprised. No one had told her that the two had a meeting scheduled, then. "She's, ah, in a meeting right now actually. Taking on a new girl."

Nat gritted her teeth. Of course she was. "Any news when it'll get done?" She had an appointment with Barton in an hour, and she'd be damned if it interfered with that. Why the hell was Emma avoiding her? What was it she was hiding by not giving Nat what was owed to her?

Darcy looked apologetic, not meeting Natasha's gaze. "They just sat down ten minutes ago. With the contract negotiation, could take longer than you've got free."

That made Natasha purse her lips, her grip on her coffee tightening. "Alright then. I'll just talk to her later. Anything else I need to know?" The words came out sharper than she'd intended them to, and she murmured a hasty apology when Darcy visibly winced at the snap of her last word.

"No. You've still got Clint on for an afternoon session, then Rhodey's taking you out for dinner tonight."

Well that would at least put her in a better mood. She thanked Darcy and headed towards the elevator, tapping the heel of her shoe against the linoleum floor. If there was one thing that Emma respected it was money. How often had she told the girls to keep track of it all, to ensure that they had their funds in order, that their contracts were looked over half a dozen times to ensure that they were in their best interest. Perhaps she needed to get Matt to give hers a onceover, just to be safe. She'd never dealt with such a large sum before, maybe this was par for the course given what it was that Loki had offered to pay her.

Tapping a reminder on her phone to give Murdock a call (or maybe she'd pay him a visit. It never failed to amuse her to see his work partner's reaction to her appearing in their doorway), she made her way towards her room.

'Now this feels like home.' She tried not to dwell on how fucked up that was as she toed off her black heels and slipped out of the dress she'd crawled into that morning. Starting her week off with Clint would be a godsend that would help get her acquainted with her world, pull her mind out of the fantasy she'd found herself in, and all without putting her through too much stress. Maybe she ought to be paying _him _for the session. That thought made her smile, and she felt the anxiety in her back loosen up as she pulled on a thin tank top and a pair of yoga pants that she'd bought for herself last Christmas. Ever since having taken Clint on as a client she'd made sure to equip her room with comfortable clothes, not just functional (easily removable) pieces that'd also help if Steve and or Bucky decided to drop in again. It was a nice change, a welcome one, and she eased her way into bed while she waited for him. The comforter smelled clean, like they'd just had it laundered, and she buried her face in the soft fabric. There she allowed herself to relax, pulling herself into the moment and out of her frustration with Emma. If her afternoon with Clint suffered because of it she'd never forgive herself for being such an idiot.

How hard was it to warm up for a snuggle date, after all? Ridiculous. Her irritation simmered just beneath the surface as she turned onto her back, scrunching up her face and trying to let her frustration out between breaths. By the time there was a familiar hard knock on the door she'd calmed down marginally. She murmured for him to come in, and smiled when Clint entered and closed the door behind him.

"Hey," he grinned, already easing off his shirt with a small wince. He had a nasty, mottled bruise on the right side of his rib cage that made Natasha frown.

"Did you get into another fight?"

He shrugged his left shoulder. "A small one. It's really not that bad, I promise."

Right. Which was why he was laying down on his left side, and Nat had to take extra care not to lay too much weight on the right of his abdomen when she wrapped an arm around him and buried her face between his shoulderblades. He smelled a bit like a bar and musk, but it wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it might be. "Are you a bouncer?" she asked, voice soft. It would explain all the injuries he seemed to procure. He let out a quiet laugh, frame quaking in front of her.

"Every so often. Depends on whether or not they call me in. I pick up odd jobs here and there."

"I didn't mean to pry."

"Nah, it's all good. I mean, how much more could you pry given what we do?" he teased, looking back over his shoulder at her. She smiled, looking up at him and pressing a slow kiss to his cheek, giving him more than enough time to pull away if it wasn't what he wanted. He relaxed into it, though, and she felt the muscles of his body give way underneath her. They had a good hour and a half this time, and once she'd had her fill of snuggling she murmured for him to lay down on his front.

"Gently," she prompted him with a smirk as he made to roll over quicker than he ought to have. She could all but feel him roll his eyes as she shifted her weight to hover just above his hips. She warmed her hands slowly by rubbing them together, then pressed them gently to his sore muscles just above his shoulder blades, pressing out and away from the spine as she'd been shown once. The pillow he'd propped his face on swallowed his appreciative groan but she still felt it reverberate through his body as she worked. With every inch of muscle she helped to relax she felt herself easing into a state of her own contentment, the smile on her lips feeling more and more natural as she went on. She didn't ask anymore about his life, not sure he wanted to provide any more details, and he didn't break the silence between them with anything else but quiet sighs and murmurs of thanks whenever she'd finish massaging a particularly difficult spot on his back. It was slow work but it quieted her mind and she was grateful for the excuse to think of anything other than the drama simmering just beneath the cracks of her would-be office.

As it turned out Clint broke the silence first. "So, what is it that you do for fun, besides give awesome massages?" he asked, his head turning to the side so that he could watch her out of his peripherals.

She snorted at that. Hell if she knew. "I read when I get the chance." she said, drawing her nails down the small of his back and delighting in the way he shivered, before she set her hands to work kneading the muscle there. "I'm thinking of going to school when the new semester starts."

He made a noise in the back of his throat to demonstrate what he thought about that idea, and she laughed. "I want to learn something new. I don't want to live a stagnant life."

"Is that why you like it here so much? Never the same day as the last."

She'd never really thought about it like that, but now that he said something. "Yeah, I suppose so. I like the anticipation of getting to do something different, I hate being bored, and I hate easy work."

"Then I don't think you'll like college," he teased. "My roommate's going on the weeknights and she says it's tedious as all get out."

That made Natasha smile. Better to be learning something than sitting on her ass going nowhere, though. "Are you a learned man, then, Clint?"

He shook his head slowly, eyes fluttering shut and his breathing slowing as she raked her hands across his sides. "Nope. Never wanted to be. High School was more than enough for me. Teachers talk too quietly and their subject matter is about as boring as it can get when I'm not paying them to be there, so why would it be any different in college when they get paid more if you flunk their class?"

That was one way of looking at it. She gave a quiet hum that neither agreed or disagreed with him, running her hands up his back slowly one last time before planting kisses from the top of his spine to the very bottom. He shivered again, his breathing turning labored.

"You know, if there was ever anyone I'd be willing to give this whole sex thing a shot with, you're at the top of my list."

"I'm flattered," she said, voice dry and stifling a laugh. That was sweet in its own way, and she smiled against the dip of his lower back, resting her forehead there and letting her warm breath trickle over his skin. "Has it always been like that? Where you've not been interested in sex?"

The tension rebounded into his muscles like a rubber band snapping back to its original form, and she frowned as she felt his breathing become shallower. "Suppose so," he muttered, turning his head back to the pillow.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." she backtracked, sitting up so she could slither off of him and place herself just beside him. Her left hand smoothed over his blond hair. "I'm sorry for doing so."

"It's fine." his voice was muffled against the bed, and she sighed. No, no it wasn't. She wasn't an idiot. "It's just a touchy subject is all. Everyone tends to think I'm broken." He took a slow, even breath. "That there's something wrong with me, and they offer to fix me up. But I'm not interested, and then they take it as a personal offense and it's just this stupid, vicious clusterfuck of a circle. I hate it."

She listened in silence, raking her nails over his skull gently, feeling the tension seep from his neck at the sensation as she kept her movements slow and projected, circling the very top of his skull and making her way down towards his ears and the back of his head in even intervals. "There's nothing wrong with you, the same way there's nothing wrong with me for enjoying it," she finally said after thinking about his words, his fear of rejection. "When you know what you like and what you don't like it's not for anyone else to decide what's right and what's wrong. You're not broken, Clint. You're just human."

His body shook with a snort, his head rising so he could look her dead in the eye. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Not in the way you would think." She smiled and cupped the side of his cheek. "You're amazing the way you are. Sex or no sex, physical intimacy or not. Doesn't make you any less of a man, or a human, for what you want, and what you don't want. You got that?"

He nodded his head, but his eyes didn't meet hers. It'd be a long road towards getting him to accept his own decisions and emotions, but at least he'd come here to her, been open enough about what it was he wanted, without fear of rejection of pushing too far. She could be proud of him for that.

When his time was up he pulled her against his chest for a hug as tight as he could stand, his face buried in her neck. She held him back just as tight, closing her own eyes and allowing herself to get swept up in the sensation of just being held. No gimmicks, no expectations, just pure, unadulterated affection and warmth shared between two individuals.

Not for the first time she wondered if he wasn't on a whole other level with his ideas and cravings for simple intimacy.

* * *

On her lunch break she took a copy of her contract down to Hell's Kitchen, the cabbie quiet and promising to wait for her as she ran the document inside to Karen at the front desk. Matt and Foggy were out talking with a couple of other clients, apparently about a dispute with a shady landlord trying to kick the less fortunate out of his building. Nat would have to content herself with knowing that Matt would get back to her as soon as he could, hopefully with answers to the questions she'd left, in writing, along with the contract. Karen wished her a good day, and she had more than enough time to get back to the building before she was scheduled to start getting ready for her evening out with Rhodey.

Her phone pinged with a message from Loki just as soon as she stepped into her building.

'Early Halloween party this weekend. You up for some tricks &amp; treats? ;)'

Was it that time already? She tapped out a quick response, smiling at Jane and Darcy when she passed the reception desk: 'Your brother going to be there?'

'I'm thinking probably not. He goes out with W3 &amp; Sif every year. They have their own rituals. Besides, this is work. He doesn't party at work.'

This she knew. He had clear rules about keeping his own personal life out of his business practices, a similar model to her own, but she couldn't be too cautious. 'Then hell yes. What are you going as?'

'I was thinking royalty. A dark prince who stole his kingdom from someone far more deserving but not near clever enough to hold onto it.'

How original. She smirked as the elevator doors opened up to let her inside, her fingers already making short work of her response. 'Would you like me to be your faithful wench, warming your bed every evening while your queen waits for you to join her? You let me ride you like the magnificent king you are, my shouts echoing in the royal bedchambers further proof that you take whatever it is you want, damn the consequences?'

She sent it off before beginning a second, the click of her nails on the phone blurring together as she hastened to fire off a second idea before he could finish reading the first. 'Or am a princess, captured by the lure of your kingdom and that certain, special something about you that terrifies and entices me at the same time? You seduce me, making a mockery of my supposed virtue as you take what you want and mold me into the queen that your kingdom needs, uniting our two kingdoms, making you by far one of the most powerful men in the world?'

'Or perhaps another idea,' she couldn't help herself from going on. 'I'm the woman that wishes to take you out of power. I fight for the people that you've screwed over, but when I come to your bedchambers to take your life and make you pay you overpower me, push me down into the royal bed and fuck me until I can't scream anymore, ruin me for any other who might think to hold a candle to me, and keep me there to be used whenever you wish. I can't help but love you and hate you at the same time, a slave to your passions as well as my own, and you love the inherent danger at keeping a tiger kept up, my claws sharp enough to take you down as soon as I get the chance, and yet still, irrevocably, yours.'

The three scenarios stared up at her, the long blue text bubbles staring up at her until her impatience to see his response got the better of her. And of him, it seemed. Her phone rang not a minute after the last text had been sent, Loki's face in the background. When in the hell had that picture gotten there?

"Couldn't get your thumbs to work?" she teased as soon as she picked up the phone, the worry kept from her voice as best she could. She could always take it off, she supposed.

His voice was breathless on the other end, and she swore she heard the sound of his hand working his cock in between his words. By God, she'd really worked him up, hadn't she? "You minx," he moaned. "You absolute tart. God, I haven't been away from you for more than forty-eight hours and I'm desperate for you beneath me again."

"Beneath you?" she allowed herself to smirk, casting a quick look towards the clock on her bedside table. She still had time. She could take a quick shower, then get dressed while her hair dried. She'd planned to put it up anyway. The door shut with a heavy click behind her, and Loki let out a low moan. "What if I want to ride you, sir?" she asked, her voice growing dark and heavy with want. "Take you in one swivel of my hips, plant my hands on your chest, and fuck you until all you can see is my face and all you can feel is pleasure, but at my leisure?"

His moan was heavier now, guttural, as though she'd ripped it from the very pit of his stomach. "You're killing me, Natasha. Can't you come over? I need you now."

"You have me all weekend. It'll be good for you." She moved to the bed, laying back on it as she felt heat pool between her legs. Absently she reached a hand down to stroke her clit through the fabric of her panties, the skirt of her dress having slid up around her hips. With his breathy moans on the other side of the phone she could pretend he was there with her. "Delayed gratification, and all that. Make it all the better. Besides, you didn't tell me which you wanted."

"Which I . . . wanted?" he asked, words broken by a low moan. She swore she heard him slow down, drawing the pleasure out. That wouldn't do, she had a time schedule!

"Yes, which version of me you wanted for the party. Do you want me to be your whore, your queen, or your slave?" she purred, throwing a moan in of her own as she pulled her panties to one side and pressed a finger inside her. "I'm so wet just thinking about it, but I want to know how you want me."

"Ah, fuck." he swore as his breathing grew harder.

"Do you want me on my knees, my mouth around your cock as you choke me with it, your eyes dark and manic as you make me yours and do whatever, unspeakable, things you wish to do? You're my prince, my king," she moaned the word and heard his breath catch. "You can do whatever you want to me."

"Yes, please God, yes."

"Or do you want me fighting you every inch of the way, you pinning my hands down above my head as you fuck into me as hard as you can, my hips snapping involuntarily against yours, pulling you deeper into me with every thrust. One of my hands will pull free and I'll struggle against you, scratch at your back both in pleasure and hate, but it'll only fuel the passion between us. That indescribable magnetism. My hate will give way to lust, and I'll flip you onto your back so that I can take full advantage of every inch of your glorious cock."

"Natasha," he moaned, and now she knew he was working his cock over in a frenzy. "Yes-fuck, yes. Don't stop."

"Or," she went on, pressing a second finger into herself and giving a hum of delight at how good it felt, the heel of her hand grinding on her clit. She wasn't going to last too long herself, given the angle of her fingers and hand. "Should I look up to you in doe-eyed innocence, blushing at the pleasures you show me, far superior to anything anyone else ever could hope to do. I've never been with another man before, and you'll make me yours. You'll teach me how to scream and come around your fingers, your tongue, your cock, all until it's too much for me to handle. Would you corrupt me, taint me until I'm unrecognizable, bloodthirsty and just as dark as you are, unafraid of what I do because I have you, and you have me, and together we're unstoppable?"

"Natasha, I'm going to come-fuck-_fuck_-." His words were broken and she pressed harder on her clit to match his pace. "I want it all," he continued. "W-want you on top of me, my hands around your hips, bouncing you on my cock as your head's thrown back because you can't stand to think that you gave in to me, but you know that you'll never be the same after I'm done with you. Want you to fuck me like you hate me, like it's all you've got left in you, want you to scream my name as I lick your cunt, your fingers tight in my hair because you've never had anyone take care of you. Ah." He stuttered. "Do you want that, Natasha? Want me to make you come until you can't come anymore?"

She moaned, her stomach beginning to tighten with the oncoming orgasm, nerves and body stiffening. "Yes, yes please. Loki, my _king_." The word had worked so well before, and this time again he gave a low, guttural growl as his breathing grew more labored and harsh. "Come for me, I'm going to come soon. Going to come for you. Please, I need you-need you so badly."

"Come for me Natasha. Come _now_!" he ordered, voice growing in volume and she felt an actual pull as her body responded to his demand. Her hips bucked upwards, pads of her fingers pressed tight against her g-spot as she gushed around her fingertips and her moan came out in one long, strangled keen. He followed quickly after, his own orgasm far more muffled than hers, which made her wonder just where in the hell he'd sequestered himself to masturbate. The thought of him at his desk, hand working his cock as he propped the phone between his ear and shoulder, the door to his office closed but still with the possibility of someone entering.

She hummed, content, as she pulled her fingers slowly out of her cunt and pressed them to her mouth. She made a show of slurping at the, sucking them clean so that he could hear just what it was she was doing, and his groan was practically palpable.

"I was so wet for you, Loki. Wish you could've been here," she said, a smirk in her voice, teasing him. Maybe they wouldn't even make it to the Halloween party, and she'd be spared the possibility of seeing Thor.

"Just say the word and I will be," he promised, though he sounded exhausted now. Did he come all over his desk, she wondered? Or did he get any on his trousers? Would he be walking around with the reminder of how he came at the sound of her voice all day? She hoped so.

"Mm, no. This weekend. It'll be worth it, so long as you tell me how you want me."

She left it at that, clicking the phone off and pulling herself up and out of bed. She had a party to get ready for, and not much time left now.


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter features Rhodey and Natasha at a gala, including exhibitionism (once again). Hope you enjoy!

Also, just a real quick notice: as we are rounding out the month of October, I've got NaNoWriMo coming up starting Nov. 1. I'm going to try and squeeze one last update in, the Halloween party, before Halloween is too far gone for it to be relevant, but on the offhand chance that I don't just gonna say this now: updates are going to be slow at best. I'm never certain when I'll be able to write, or what I'll be able to write, while I'm working on my original fiction, so I do apologize but thank you all so much for understanding.  
You guys are so amazing. The reviews seriously warm my heart, and I'm so incredibly lucky to have such amazing readers as you guys. Thank you!

* * *

Rhodey picked her up for the gala just outside the office, the car he'd hired not anything like his usual subtle self. No, this was far more jazzed up, a burnt orange sports car screaming for attention, and what was more he was driving this time around rather than being driven like normal. Interesting. She smiled all the same when he stepped out to open the door for her, grinning as he took her hand in his and pulled her close to kiss her cheek, his gaze flickering down to the ample cleavage she was showing. He had a certain fondness for other men being able to look at her and not touch, and she liked to play that up as the evening went on. They worked so well for that reason. She felt herself ease into the familiarity of his presence, the comforting smell of his cologne-awe, he was wearing the one she'd bought him for Christmas last year! Wasn't that sweet of him.

"How was your vacation? Relaxing, I hope?" he asked after they'd both gotten into the car and he'd revved the engine once before they took off. Nat smiled as she looked over at him, her hand finding his and squeezing.

"Quite, thanks. You look very dapper tonight," she complimented, looking over his military uniform. She had a certain thing for a man in a uniform and damn, Rhodey pulled it off exceptionally well. She threaded their fingers together. "Is this your car?" she asked, running a hand over the smooth leather interior. It reeked of power and persuasion, not necessarily something she could imagine him spending his hard earned money on-especially given that, as high in the ranks as he was, he still worked for the military and the money was shit. But still, they all had their vices, didn't they?

At least she got paid for hers, and her shoes never went out of style dammit.

He laughed and shook his head. "No ma'am. I'm borrowing it from a friend, figured I'd come pick you up in style."

Natasha's smile softened. "You always do, Rhodey. I'm always happy to be on your arm, whether we're in a . . . whatever this is, or a junker."

He snorted at that. "This is a Saleen S7, and please. In that dress? I'd be ashamed to pick you up in anything less."

"A limo might've been nice," she teased, leaning over to take his earlobe gently between her teeth. "Nice back seat to spread out on, at least. There's not much room in this one."

He shivered beneath her, breath catching and dark brown eyes turning to her. The plunging neckline of her dress allowed him a superb view of her cleavage, and when she leaned over it was only that much better, her breasts straining against the edges of the dress.

"Don't tempt me," he groaned, visibly forcing himself to pull his gaze away before they ended up in an accident. "We're going to be late if you keep that up."

She smirked. "You mean you didn't want to be fashionably late?"

"We're already fashionably late, but we won't make it at all if I had my way, and I have to go to this." He truly looked as though he didn't want to, and Natasha took pity on him, leaning in to kiss his cheek instead. Alright, if he insisted.

They made it just as the paparazzi had died down, perfect timing as Natasha didn't really care to ever have her picture taken, and as they hurried inside they managed to avoid any and all photographers who either didn't recognize who Rhodey was, or didn't care. Why the hell were there even paps at a military gala, anyway? It didn't make any sense to her, but then again she was just there to look pretty. It didn't matter to her who else attended or what else was happening so long as Rhodey was happy, and her face didn't end up in the papers. That was about all she could ask for. Natasha's coat was checked and, with her arm looped around Rhodey's, they entered the main ballroom. It was already packed to the gills with people, some veterans in their previous uniforms, some current men, their chests decorated with the various awards and medals they'd won for duties performed, and others who walked around seemed to be there for the free champagne and food. She certainly knew why she'd been happy to come, aside from the excellent company of course.

Rhodey made his rounds with her at his side, and as expected every time a gentleman, or the occasional woman, took an extra long look at Natasha's breasts Rhodey's grip on her arm tightened just a little more, and his attention became more fixed. She couldn't help but preen in pleasure, her lips permanently etched into a smile as he leaned over to murmur in her ear that he had to give a speech in twenty or so minutes, and so how about she help him relax before he had to go on?

As they were making their escape, however, Rhodey expertly maneuvering through the crowds, he was stopped by an energetic looking man with brown hair that looked freshly ruffled and a well defined goatee catching him by the shoulder and slapping him on the back. She could all but feel Rhodey's groan where they were connected by their hands, but there was something ridiculously familiar about the man that she couldn't put her finger on.

"Rhodey! I was afraid you'd leave me with these sycophants all night," the brunette grinned, before his eyes flicked back to Natasha and widened. "Oh. Shit, since when did you start dating?"

"Tony." Rhodey's voice was exasperated with a hint of desperation that she usually preferred to hear when he was underneath her begging to come. "Can we talk about it in a few minutes? After my speech?"

It didn't take much for Tony to put two and two together, and his face lit up with surprise and amusement just as it clicked in Natasha's head who he was.

"Holy shit, you're Tony Stark."

"In the flesh," Tony grinned. "But please, you two go have your fun. I'll catch you later, assuming you can walk properly old man." He winked at Rhodey, whose skin flushed but didn't deny just what Tony was insinuating, tugging Natasha with him once more. They'd lost a couple minutes courtesy of Stark, but Nat would work with what she could get. Sequestered in a small, private bathroom, she wasted no time in letting him push her up against a wall, hiking her dress up around her hips and slipping off her panties as he undid his button, fly, and slid a condom on expertly. By the time he had her in his arms, his cock thrusting shallowly inside her as he mouthed at her breasts, she had her head tipped back and her mouth open wide. He wasn't going to last long, wasn't letting himself last long when they didn't have all the time in the world to spare, and while that was what helped to get him off it wasn't exactly as though she'd mastered the art of coming on command. Not yet, at least, and not with minimal foreplay. One of her hands slid between them to rub at her clit, her walls tightening around Rhodey as she rolled her hips in time with his thrusts. He was careful not to leave any marks as he mouthed at her breasts, breath warm and bringing goosebumps to her skin, but it just wasn't enough, and sitting there, on the brink of orgasm as he emptied himself into her after a couple more thrusts, left her aching and short of breath. She faked it all the same, stifling a put upon groan that had her thinking back to how she'd had to phone it in for Loki, too, and a myriad of clients before.

The sex couldn't always be spectacular, but a quickie was what he'd paid for, so a quickie in the bathroom was what he'd get.

"You like all the guys staring at me, knowing they can't have me without risking loss of life, or limb, for even looking at me funny?" she teased him when they uncoupled, and he tossed the used condom into the trash. She swore she thought she saw his cock twitch at the image, and he groaned all the same, but she knew she wouldn't be getting much more until that evening.

"Am I that transparent? You can read me better than my CO could dream to."

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. "Isn't that the point?" she winked. "I'd hope he wouldn't be able to tell what turns you on."

That earned her an easy laugh that made it all worth while, and they made their way back with minutes to spare, Natasha looking appropriately tousled but pleased with herself, even if her clit throbbing between her legs was damn annoying. She could always take a couple minutes to herself if she needed to, bridge the gap between what she wanted now and when she'd get it later? But no, she was there to support Rhodey, not herself. She made sure to stay firmly in place, right where he could see her but well hidden by the other members of the congregation so as not to bring too much attention to herself, as he took the stage to thank their generous benefactors for their contributions that evening, and to announce that they had a new business joining their creative, weapons development team.

"Let's give a warm hand and welcome to Thor Odinson, of Odinson Corporations, who've been kind enough to branch out from the security business into the weapons business." Rhodey grinned as Thor stepped onto the stage, dressed in a better suit than Natasha had ever seen him wear, and her heart faltered.

Oh, fuck this shit. Why hadn't she excused herself to the bathroom? It wasn't as though she could easily hide! Her hair alone was a fucking giveaway, and then on top of that the fact that her breasts were all but hanging out which made her an even bigger target. She was so screwed, outside of grabbing her jacket, a hat, and praying to God that he didn't come close to looking her way. Moving slowly and not listening to the speech that Thor was giving, she managed to maneuver herself towards the very edge of the group.

Of course, if Thor wasn't going to find her, someone else had to, right? The hand on her upper arm made her jump, spinning to catch Tony Stark looking on apologetically. "Didn't mean to surprise you," he said with an easy smile. "You okay? You look like you just caught sight of an ex-boyfriend who's avoiding his restraining order."

"Have lots of experience with that feeling?" she asked, unable to help the snark as she stared back at the stage. Rhodey was looking for her, though at least he was being subtle about it, as Thor kept going.

"Eh, every now and then I get a real live one. Speaking of, how is it you met Rhodey? Are you his escort for the evening?"

Natasha opened her mouth, half offended and half perturbed by the fact that he immediately thought about that, when Tony waved his hands. "Yeah that wasn't what I meant to say. He's been telling me he's been visiting a call girl, and I just kinda figured-well, no offense to him but he'd have had to do something amazing in his past life to have deserved having you all to himself."

Again, how in the hell was she supposed to answer that?

"No offense Mr. Stark, but it's not really your business."

"Except it is." Tony said, serious now, his jovial attitude fading. "Because James Rhodes is about the best guy I know, which doesn't say much given the types of people I hang out with, but it doesn't mean any less to me. I want to make sure he's taken care of, and if you do have an ex-boyfriend who's here stalking you, I don't want Rhodey getting caught in anything between you two. You understand, of course."

Her cheeks grew warm, reddening she was sure, with his insinuation as she licked her lips in preparation of speech. "It's not an ex, but a best friend. A best friend who doesn't know I'm a call girl, as you so eloquently put it. I try to keep business and pleasure separate."

Tony snickered at that, but the look she gave him shut him up real quick. "Sorry. Just kinda ironic, given that your business is pleasure."

"And it'd stop being so pleasurable if every Tom, Dick, and Harry knew where I lived, who I hung out with, and that I don't say "Yes daddy give it to me" on the reg." She arched a brow. "Understand why I'm so keen to avoid mixing the two?"

"Honestly I'm just hoping you'll say that again, a little slower this time. Maybe whisper it in my ear?"

She scowled and turned away. Asshole. She supposed she shouldn't have expected more, not given what she'd read about him it the papers, but the hand wrapping around her wrist was a development she wasn't expecting. She hit him, hard enough to make him release her, on the back of his hand and he winced, shaking it. He'd lost feeling in it, and it wouldn't come back for another couple minutes, unless she was losing her touch.

"What in the hell was that?"

"I don't like being grabbed without any sort of warning." Hadn't he guessed that already? For a genius he wasn't living up to that part of his reputation.

"I'm sorry."

She wasn't inclined to give a damn anymore, and shot him a scowl that told him as much. But he truly looked apologetic, and she swallowed her tongue. Fine. She stopped walking away just as the crowd began applauding at whatever it was that Thor had finished saying, he and Rhodey shaking hands, the both of them smiling brightly. "Look, Rhodey was hard pressed to tell me about your profession, and I understand that you prefer to be secretive about it, but I do want to offer that-well, I'm looking to get out of the weapons business. Thinking about investing my time in something else, and if you know a couple of other girls, and guys even, who do what you do and want to break away from their old contracts, then Pep and myself might have an opportunity for them. For you, if you end up wanting to."

She hadn't expected that, and being caught so off guard made her head spin in surprise. Wait. What? "You want to manage an escort service? You sure you can keep from sampling what it is you're selling?" she asked, voice dry and disbelieving.

"Contrary to popular belief I don't usually have to pay for sex if I want it. Besides, it's Pep that wants to take over most of it. I'm the bankroll. I tinker around and create what tech I can, she manages the human aspect of our investments. But sex sells, just about as well as weapons do, and if I've mastered selling one why can't I do the other?"

He had a point, even if she was loathe to admit it. It would mean leaving Emma, and Darcy, and everyone she'd built a profession with. After the whole debacle with her money, though, maybe it was time to look at giving something else a chance. Besides, it wasn't as though she couldn't take her clients with her. She filed that idea away to ask Matt when he got back to her about her contract. The crowds were beginning to break up, though, and she needed to lose herself quickly before Thor managed to catch her. She stuck out her hand, offering him a small smile when he took it and shook, his handshake firm.

"I'll consider it, Mr. Stark. Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a great evening." A traditional send off, but she meant it when she said she'd give it a good hard think. Depending on how things went with Loki, it might be a good idea to have a backup plan.

"You as well. Don't take, too long, you hear? I don't know how many people Pep wants to start off with, how many we can support as we work to maneuver around the business, but I'd like to hear back from you as soon as possible."

"I'll see what I can do." With that she left him, winding her way through the crowds, on the lookout for bright blonde hair and broad shoulders, hoping to find them before they found her so she knew exactly where to stay away from.

"Natasha?"

He always did manage to find her in the most unconventional, unfortunate, of circumstances, didn't he?

She froze where she stood, swallowing thickly, before pasting a smile on her face to turn and look at him. "Thor! Hey, small world." She tried not to think about the fact that she had no business being at a gala for the military, that this? Was about as close to seeing her undressed as he'd ever been, and the way his eyes took a quick once-over of her outfit, his eyebrows shooting up, said that he was thinking something very similar. "Great speech up there. Really moving." She hadn't listened to a damn word.

He snorted. He knew she hadn't been listening. It had probably been boring as all unholy hell, unless he'd gotten his brother to write it. She felt her cheeks grow red as he surveyed her, and looked away to keep from having to meet his gaze.

"How did you get here?" he asked, his curiosity breaking the awkward silence between them. "Is it-you're not here for work, are you?"

Yep. Big time. She bit at her bottom lip, staring up at his forehead so she wouldn't have to look him straight in the eye and lie to him. "It's complicated, actually. I'm here with a friend."

Rhodey, whose ears must've been burning, appeared on her left as though magically drawn by her words. One of his arms wrapped around her, and she knew she couldn't shy away from the touch even though she wanted to. He wasn't really working with the whole 'friend' description.

"Thor, I see you've met my date for the evening. Natasha, this is Thor Odinson. Thor, Natasha Romanoff."

Thor's brow furrowed, his eyes meeting Natasha's. Hurt flashed across his features, the pain of Rhodey not having known who he was to Nat clear as day. She wanted nothing more than to disappear, vanish, poof. She'd give Rhodey back his money for the evening, hell she'd give him just about anything he wanted if it meant she could've gotten out right then and there.

Instead she did the second best thing, growing limp in Rhodey's arms and fainting. The coward's way of handling a situation, but an apt get away if ever there was one. Dammit, she would have to comp him for the rest of the evening.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Chapter is smut-less (unless you count dirty talk), but there are some Thor and Nat feels, and some Loki/Nat moments at the end.

* * *

Of course the situation hadn't been taken care of by the time that Natasha came back to. Why would it have been? Thor sat right beside her, his jacket having been wrapped around her shoulders given how warm she was as her eyes slowly blinked open, taking in the hazy light of the room. Rhodey was nowhere in sight, and she wondered if he'd left her there for the evening. She'd never had this happen before and was just as confused as he likely was. Granted, he didn't have his best friend to explain questionable life choices to, but still. She took her time sitting up, and Thor jumped into action as soon as he realized she was awake, springing to her side to help her sit up.

"I'm okay," she assured him. "I just got overwhelmed. Or something." That was understating it a bit, she had to say. Still, she wasn't so sure about whether or not he bought it. He didn't say a thing, just rubbing her back through the fabric of her dress, his lips pursed tightly in a way that she knew meant he was deep in thought. "What happened?"

"Well, you fainted." He licked his lips, tugging his jacket tighter around her shoulders so that it covered up the front of her dress, her breasts nearly spilling out. "Rhodes and myself brought you back here, and he went to get a doctor. I think. It's been awhile." The furrow in his brow deepened. "Nice boyfriend you've got."

She didn't miss the resentment in his voice, the frustration underlining his words. "He's not my boyfriend," she said, weighing the words carefully on her tongue. This was going to be a shitstorm and a half, she knew.

"Sorry for putting a label on it."

"No, Thor." God, he sounded so bitter and she frowned as she reached out to take his hand in hers, squeezing it. He allowed her, looking over with thinly veiled pain and curiosity. She'd never seen him looking so conflicted and it worried her. He was always so self assured, confident in what he was doing, that when he wasn't it physically hurt to see. Her chest ached and she shifted so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, taking comfort from their proximity and the steady beating of his heart, from his even breathing.

"If I tell you something you can't judge me, okay?" she murmured, feeling her pulse jump in her throat. Her eyes flickered upwards, trying to gauge his face, but he was schooling it carefully, hiding his own inner turmoil so he could present her with an objective listening ear. She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed.

"I'm not going to judge you, Tasha. You're my best friend."

Who'd been bending the truth for the past few years. She tried not to think whether or not he'd think so highly of their friendship after she told him. Either way, she breathed deeply to settle her nerves (which didn't work, dammit) and finally spoke: "He's not my boyfriend because he hired me to be his date tonight. I don't work at a call station, I work as a call girl, Thor." She was hoping he might find some humor in the similarity between the two, given that was why she'd told him about the call station, but he didn't say anything. His silence weighed heavily on her shoulders, enough to make her start fidgeting in discomfort. He wasn't taking it well, then, and she pulled her hand from his before starting to shrug off his coat.

"What're you doing? You've got to be freezing," he said, though the words sounded more like a reflex than anything else. It stabbed at Natasha, and she shook her head.

"I'm fine. Thank you, though. For the coat and for staying with me. I'm feeling much better, though."

The words sounded hollow even to her, but he didn't make mention of them as she offered him back his jacket. At least he didn't recoil when he held it. She took a deep, steadying breath, and excused herself to go find Rhodey. Was it any wonder she'd hidden it from him? She knew what it would do, what he'd think about her. He'd been born into privilege, with every opportunity afforded to him, and she didn't hold that against him so long as he didn't hold it against her that she'd done everything that she could to survive and earn a decent wage. Maybe that was just too much to ask, or maybe it just wasn't the right time to have told him. He and Sif were having a tough time, after all. Nat chose to cling to that idea, that he was just overwhelmed and he didn't hate her.

He stopped her just as she reached the door. "Nat? How long?"

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. She'd already come clean to him about the biggest part, why should she bother lying from then on? "Three years. More or less."

She didn't wait to hear if he said anything in return. Just as she'd opened the door, however, Rhodey looked about ready to knock and come in himself, an older man at his side. His eyes went wide as he saw Natasha standing up, sans Thor's jacket.

"You feeling better?" he asked, puzzled. The doctor, Natasha assumed, watched her keenly.

"Yes, fine," she promised with as dazzling a smile as she could. "That damn champagne. They really ought to mix it with sparkling juice or something so it doesn't all go to my head so quickly."

"The sugar would be your downfall," the doctor said from the side, clearly miffed that he'd been called for nothing. "If that's all there is I'll be on my way back."

Rhodey nodded. "Yeah, sure thing. Thanks." He waved him off, and Natasha thanked the man quietly. Behind them Thor was collecting his things and brushed past Natasha as he excused himself. She swallowed thickly to watch him go, Thor not even bothering to say his goodbyes to either of them. Her throat felt tight, and though she cleared it to try and make speech a little easier she had a feeling it'd all come back to her that night.

In the end Rhodey understood, and appreciated her giving him half back what he'd paid for the evening as she caught a cab home earlier than anticipated. She'd end up hearing about it from Emma when Rhodey gave his report, but she had an excuse. Extenuating circumstances and all that.

As it was she gave the cabbie directions back home (because there was no way she was going back to the office at a time like that, and she was pretty sure the barrier she'd spent years putting up between her two worlds had crumpled anyway so why the hell not?) and as he drove she was doing her best to keep it all together. The evening had proved to be far colder than anticipated, and she shivered as as she crossed her arms over her chest. The driver blasted the heat when he heard her teeth start to chatter, but he was courteous enough to keep from asking where her coat was, or comment on the amount of skin she had showing.

She thanked the man when he got her home in record time, traffic having been lighter than normal, and added a generous tip to the fare in thanks for turning up the heat, before she got out and hurried her way to her apartment. Once the door had shut behind her, none of her neighbors having noticed just what it was she was wearing, or that she looked as though she was coming apart at the seams, she let herself collapse. Throwing the shoes off, she leaned her back against the door and slid down to the floor, her breathing uneven and shaky as she worked to remove her earrings, necklace, and unzip the back of her dress with shaky hands. She needed to get out of this get up, wanted to throw the dress at the very back of her closet and not see it again. God, things had gone so wrong tonight. That the only bright side to the evening had been Stark giving her the opportunity to leave Emma wasn't exactly the highlight she'd been hoping the evening would bring forth, but it was something, she supposed.

She pulled herself up and off the floor sometime later, filing away the events of the evening for later, stowing her anger and hurt away until she could siphon it off at another time. Right now all she wanted was a hot bath, a bottle of vodka, and to fall asleep for a long, long time.

She only got to the vodka when there came a knock on the door. She'd since changed into a pair of sweatpants and an old hoodie of Matt's that she'd been given as a sort of bittersweet gift when they'd decided that they were going to part ways. He was still an irregular client of hers, and Nat had him kept on the books just on the offhand chance that he came back for more than a legal consultation, but she was guessing the thing he'd had with a nurse from Hell's Kitchen was pretty serious if he hadn't come looking for anything extra.

The second knock was a little more hesitant this time, lingering in the back of her mind as she set her glass of vodka on ice down on the table and padded to the door. Peeking out the peephole, Thor's worried face filled up the small circle. She swallowed, feeling the vodka threatening to come back up.

"Who is it?" she asked, voice hoarse.

"It's me, Nat. Can I come in?"

Her fingers waited on the deadbolt, but ultimately, slowly, slid it back, before opening the door. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, making him look even more broad than usual, and at the same time all the more out of sorts. She stepped out of the doorway to allow him to enter, and he thanked her quietly as he walked past, removing his coat and setting it over the chair as he always had. Nat tried not to read too much into that, not wanting to get your hopes up.

"How'd you know I was going to come back home?" she asked. For all he might've known, given that he knew what she was now, she could've been out with Rhodey for the rest of the evening. Or gone on to another client, or something. She didn't know what he thought of her profession, wasn't sure she wanted to.

He shrugged, looking sheepish. "I didn't. Just figured you'd have to come home some time, and I didn't want to talk over the phone."

Oh. She didn't say anything, just nodded, before offering him a seat. He declined, and it made her shift where she stood, her feet aching from having been in heels all evening but not wanting to be at a disadvantage. If things got dirty-.

He was striding towards her as she was still deep in thought, and his arms wrapped tightly around her body, pulling her tight to him. His face pressed against the side of her head, his breathing deep, and she let herself relax in his hold as wet, warm tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Her arms were slow, hesitant, to wrap around him, but she was so very glad to feel him solid beneath her to remind her that she wasn't dreaming. This was happening.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so quiet when you told me-I just, it's a surprise, Nat. And it hurt."

She sniffled and nodded, biting her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. She hated how weak she was right then, but he was her best friend. She didn't know how she'd get through the day to day without him in her life. He was the only one she could tell everything to, especially now. Without that? She'd go crazy.

"I know. I'm sorry," she managed to rasp, words thick, throat constricting around them, and he pulled away to wipe away the tear tracks that'd spread down her cheeks.

"It doesn't bother me. I promise," he assured her. "I just wish I'd known about it is all. And with everything that's happened already tonight-." He shook his head. Natasha's sorrow evaporated on the spot, his forgiveness having absolved her emotions so that her whole attention focused on him, eager to change subjects.

"What happened?" she asked, cupping both sides of his face to gently steer his gaze back to her when he looked away. "Thor? What's wrong?"

"Sif left."

Natasha gaped, unable to help herself. Well no wonder the poor bastard had been thrown for a loop. His fiancee left, then his best friend turns up at a gala she had no right to be in, with a man she couldn't have possibly known, and turned out to have been lying to him? Her left hand moved to the crook of his arm, gently guiding him towards the couch. As they passed the kitchen table she snagged the bottle of vodka. They'd need it.

He spent the night, the pair of them finishing off the 3/4ths of the bottle that had remained, Thor explaining that even though he'd asked for Sif to compromise on the Loki situation, she'd been unwilling, and when he'd gotten home after work that afternoon she'd left with all of her more important things. Nat had offered him the bed, knowing better than to even suggest that he went back home for the evening, but he'd insisted on the couch. Luckily enough she had a couple of oversized shirts and pants that would fit him, pretty sure she'd stolen one or two pairs of sweats from his house when she'd stayed over last. They were just so comfy she couldn't help herself, and she was a bit of a magpie when it came to comfort clothes that she kept at home. Thor had passed out near one in the morning, his head resting on Natasha's shoulder, and though she hated to move him she shifted out from underneath his weight and helped settle him on the couch, tugging one of the blankets she'd brought out to cover him. Before she went to sleep she left a glass of water on the coffee table and two advil for the next morning, not sure how much he'd had to drink before that or just what he'd eaten. She took her two before bed, and found sleep easier to come by than she'd thought.

* * *

By the time she woke up in the morning Thor was already gone, a note on the table thanking her for hearing him out, and promising to bring the clothes he'd borrowed back as soon as he could. Probably a good thing, as she had Loki's party to get ready for, and he'd already texted her that morning that he was sending her the costume he'd bought for her. For as much truth telling as Nat and Thor had the past evening, she hadn't found the right moment to tell him that his baby brother was her best client. They'd get to that bridge eventually, and so long as Thor didn't surprise her at any other parties she wasn't going to worry about it right then. She was just glad he didn't hate her and he wasn't going to abandon her. Not that she wouldn't have deserved it.

'He wouldn't have been the first.'

She chomped down on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood at that thought, and as she jumped when the pain lanced through her mouth there came a knock on the door. Swiping her tongue over her lip to clean it of the blood, she headed to the door, opening it with a smile on her lips. The package, the sheer size of it, made that smile falter. Did he send her a freaking kitchen sink?

The man delivering it smiled to see her. "Natasha Romanoff?"

"That's me."

"Sign here, please." He offered her up the electronic pad in his hands, and with a quick flourish she signed it and accepted the enormous box with a thank-you. Once the man had left Nat set the box on her table and, with her kitchen scissors, carefully cut open the tape. There was a note thanking Loki for the purchase, though it never mentioned how much he spent on it. As Natasha pulled the enormous, forest green ball gown from the box, she decided she didn't want to know. No sooner had she pulled out the gown to let it ease out, her fingers ghosting over the gorgeous fabric, and there was a second knock on the door. Who in the hell wanted her now?

Moving back to the door, she was met this time with a gleeful woman, whose smile was enormous. "Hi, are you Miss Romanoff?"

"Yes?" Natasha said, unsure whether or not she wanted to be. This woman looked beyond chipper.

Another box was offered to her, and another electronic tablet for her to sign. As she did, looking quickly over the name of the company (Blue Nile Diamonds?), the woman all but bounced on the balls of her feet.

"You're one very lucky woman," she said with a wink, handing another box to Natasha, this one far smaller than the previous.

Not sure what else there was to say to that other than "thank-you" she watched the woman take off again. This time she locked her door behind her after she closed it. While she liked getting presents she really hoped that was the end of it. This box met the same fate as the first, the tape slit open to allow her to pull out three different sized, velvet boxes. Her heart in her throat, she opened the largest and swore. The emerald necklace matched her dress just about perfectly, and the two stones were huge, really, and probably cost more than their trip to France, with everything included. She shuddered to think what was in the other two boxes, but her curiosity wouldn't be satiated until she'd opened all of them. The earrings were ridiculous, but the bracelet? More than she tended to make in a year, she was willing to bet. She had Loki on speed dial as she finished opening it.

"Darling," he greeted her. "Did you get my gifts?"

"I can't accept these, you know that." She wasn't going to sugar coat it. "Loki, this is more than you pay for anything that I do. You have to send them back."

"No." He laughed. "They're gifts. Please keep them,"

She looked down at the bracelet in her hands. Three rows of emeralds? She shuddered to think about how much that cost on its own, saying nothing about the other two pieces of jewelry. "I can't accept this, you know that. It's way too nice."

"Natasha, calm down." His voice was soft with a ring of iron behind it, just enough to quiet her. Her heel tapped on the ground as she waited for him to breathe and explain just what it was he wanted her to hear, but she kept looking back at the packages. It was one thing for him to buy her a dress, it was another to buy her jewelry worth more than anything else in her apartment, including her extensive shoe and clothing collection. Seriously.

"I like buying you pretty things, Natasha. And I have the disposable income to do such things," he finally said with a quiet laugh on his end. "But if it truly offends you then I will send them back after you wear them tonight."

Wear them? She gave a dry laugh. "And what if by some freak accident something happens to one of them and you can't send them back? Loki, it's just a better idea to give them back now-what if it breaks or something and I owe you more than I can pay you back?"

"Hush, darling girl." This one was a command, thinly veiled, and she found herself a little incensed that he'd tried using his Dominant voice when they were having a serious conversation. Still, she bit her lip and kept her huffy attitude to herself. She didn't want to wear them. Didn't have to if she didn't want to. It was too nerve wracking and she'd be worried about them all evening, worried about hurting them or so much as looking at them the wrong way. "Nothing is going to happen to them tonight. But if you're to be my royal queen, my prisoner, or my wench, I'm going to dress you up how I wish you to look, and that includes spoiling you with jewels fit for my lover." His voice had gotten husky, and she wished it wasn't making her face grow warm and spreading heat between her legs at the thought. "Now, I'll send them back after tonight if you wish it, but I really want you to wear them for tonight, at least. They complete the outfit nicely, I do believe."

They did. She'd be dripping in green, and with her red hair and pale skin it always went well together, even if sometimes all she could think of was Christmas. "Alright," she acquiesced, unable to keep from smiling as he gave a laugh of delight on the other end. "But don't pull any other moves like that again, okay? And I do mean it, I want them sent back after tonight."

"Of course." But he was grinning at his victory, she could hear it in his voice. "I'll pick you up around nine this evening, yes?"

She agreed, and after they'd clicked off she moved through the house to find suitable lingerie for the finery he'd gotten her. The dress had its own version of a built in bra, and the lacing on the back left for a near open back, so she wouldn't bother with one that evening, but it didn't mean she couldn't still have some fun. He wanted to see her dripping in jewels? She'd have a few surprises for him.

* * *

As promised Loki had picked her up right at nine, the driver having parked the car by the curb. He'd already sent ahead to have her things be brought to the hotel room that they'd be staying in, so all that was left to do was wait and fidget. She'd gotten a manicure, pedicure, had finished an entire season of The Office while waiting for her curls to set, flipped through half a dozen Pandora stations before settling on one, and still she was antsy by the time he knocked on her door. The massive bracelet, drop earrings, and the emerald necklace sitting between her breasts didn't do anything to help that, either, but she clicked over to the door to unlock it for him, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

His grin grew even wider when he caught sight of her, allowing her a chance to size him up as well. When he dressed up he went all out, she supposed. One of her hands brushed over the long leather jacket he'd donned, surprised to feel that the vambraces and shoulder cap were actual metal worked into fine, decorative armor. Green panels of what looked like suede popped up here and there, breaking up the monotony of the black and gold, and his hair and been stylized so that it was pushed back and away from his face, the ends curling up ever so slightly. His boots made him even taller than normal, so while she thought she'd have an advantage given her own pumps were giving her a couple extra generous inches, he still towered over her.

"You don't do things by halves, do you?" she muttered, running a hand down the lapel of his jacket before smiling up at him.

"The thought never crosses my mind," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her. "You look stunning, my darling. May I?" He had a hand on her wrist, and when she nodded he turned her around slowly. A shiver ran up her spine as he sized her up, and her lips twisted into a secretive smile of her own as she thought of the various surprises awaiting him beneath all the luxurious folds of fabric.

He kissed her when she faced him once again. "You're an absolute vision, darling," he said, voice husky, one hand smoothing over the bustier of her dress.

"And we'll be late if you keep that up," she smirked, taking his hand and threading their fingers. She locked up the house behind her, stowing the key in her black clutch (one large enough she could stow the jewelry away in if she needed to, just in case) and walked alongside him as he led her to the car.

"So, a Halloween party? We're two weeks away from the actual holiday," she teased him.

"Yes, but they insisted on making it early enough that everyone could come," he rolled his eyes, opening the door for her before he got in as well. Her dress ruffled around her, providing solid few inches of extra space between them, unless he felt like wading through the fabric, and she smirked to think about how easy it would be to rile him up so that they left the party early. He hardly took much prompting as it was, but this? Her dress offered her a lot more protection from his wandering hands, which only meant he'd be all the more desperate by the end of the evening. Just how she wanted him.

The car drove off once the doors had shut, and a panel between driver and passengers rose between them, making Natasha's smile twist into a smirk. Where was that when they were in France? Honestly. Loki was shifting closer, trying to make his move, but Natasha turned to look at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm not so sure we have enough time to do anything by the time you find me in all this fabric," she teased.

"I'll take my chances." He licked his bottom lip, looking like he was about to devour her alive as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer, mouthing his way down her throat. She groaned, body igniting under his touch, but one hand to his chest had him pausing.

"Which am I?" she asked, voice broken.

His face contorted in confusion. "What?"

"Which woman am I tonight?" she asked again, twisting her body so that the taffeta came between them. He bit off a growl, which only made her grin.

"Whichever one you'd like to be, darling," he said, clearly not buying into the game that she was trying to start back up. She cupped the side of his face, one brow arching.

"Loki, you bought this costume for me to wear," she reminded him, careful to keep her voice quiet and unassuming, a gentle reminder. "So you can't tear it off of me just yet. Right? We're not even at the party." Hell, she didn't want him tearing it off of her at all, though given the tight lacing at the back it would be a struggle to get it off of her altogether and he wasn't the most patient of men. She watched his gaze soften, though, and he relaxed underneath her touch.

"You're right. I'm sorry, you're just so . . . bloody beautiful."

She appreciated the compliment, but bristled nonetheless. She was trying to be more, to entice him with a game rather than just her looks. But perhaps she was overreaching, expecting more out of him than what she ought to have. But what was the damn point of her having gone through all this effort to be dressed up if not to enjoy it, at least for a little bit?

Loki turned his head so that he could kiss her palm, his breath ghosting over her skin, as he hummed quietly. His eyes closed, shivering as she ran her fingers over the back of his skull gently, threading her fingers in his hair, and when he looked at her again his pupils were blown. "I think I'd like you as my captive tonight," he murmured quietly. "I've dressed you up to show everyone that you're mine, and I intend to show you off even if you hate it. Then tonight I'll make you surrender to me." He drew closer, his words making her breath catch. "You won't want to at first, you'll be too mad at me, but you'll come to your senses soon enough." He tightened his grip around her wrist, pulling her closer until she stopped herself with a hand on his chest. She tried to school her face into a look of disbelief, of anger even, at what he'd done, but it was difficult when he leaned in to murmur in her ear and a shock of arousal passed through her body. "I'll have you on your back, surrendering to me. I'll have you atop me, your nails scratching my chest as you work out your rage, your anger at me. I want you wearing my jewels the whole time so you know exactly who you belong to." His teeth nipped at her earlobe, and she tried to turn her head away. He caught her jaw in a firm grip, forcing her to look back at him, eyes bright with the game. "Then, when I finally build you up to your release, I'll make you beg for it. Make you swear to me that you want it, that you want me. Only then-."

The car came to a stop just in front of an enormous high rise, ODINSON CORP emblazoned in gold on the front of the building. Loki sprang away from her as though he'd been burnt, leaving her flushed and glassy-eyed due to arousal. He stepped out of the other side of the car, the one closest to the road, as the driver opened Natasha's door for her and she was gently pulled up and out of the car and onto the sidewalk. Loki's hand found hers to help give her something steady to hold onto, and as he wrapped her arm around his she could feel his body shaking with silent laughter.

"You're such an ass," she murmured through her smile as they passed other attendees to the event.

"You started it, darling. I'm simply playing your little game."

Yes, but she hadn't expected him to play it so damn well.

* * *

A/N: There's a follow-up chapter coming as soon as I could, this chapter was just getting a little lengthy. Thanks so much for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: This chapter involves some dirty talk, roleplay, and BDSM between Loki and Natasha. Thanks so much for reading!

* * *

The party was unfolding on the topmost floor, allowing them a fantastic look over the lit up city through the vast floor to ceiling windows that covered every wall. The room was dark, lit only by black lights, which transformed the bodies dancing near the DJ booth into writhing spirits. The decorations were classy, orange and black glass installations set up at strategic points around the room, some resembling pumpkins, others too incongruous to guess what they were meant to represent. The black lights would catch on their surface and give them an otherworldly shine that Natasha very much appreciated, though. She thought she recognized the man at the DJ booth from Thor's party, but wasn't so certain without getting to see his face. He had on a helm larger than her head, even though the rest of his costume was far more casual, and he kept his head bent down as he transitioned from one song into the next. With Loki at her side, they made their way through the crowds without much difficulty, those not dancing choosing to drink and mingle instead, mostly around the food tables, which had been set up with a variety of foods, ranging from bright orange macarons with a deep black filling, small white cupcakes with black, piped on eyes (ghosts, she realized after a moment, though the white frosting had been turned a neon blue in the light), sliced caramel apples, "devilish" eggs with caviar and paprika, and a slew of premade cocktails that Loki offered to her. She accepted one with a black spider on the glass and a dark, red liquid inside, a black widow according to the card set up near the others, and sipped at it. Delicious. He'd opted for a drink that was as dark as his hair and made her stomach turn just to look at, but when he didn't drop dead at the first sip she supposed that was a good sign.

"Are you hungry at all?" he asked, eyeing the sweets and popping a macaron into his mouth. She smiled, but shook her head.

"I'm fine with a drink, thank you. Do you need to do any socializing?" she asked, turning her gaze to the room at large once more. She smirked. "Do you need to show me off, your war prize?" she murmured in his ear.

He shivered, but gave a one shouldered shrug that clearly said he didn't want to go walk around. "Not even I am cruel enough to subject you to that," he said with a sigh and left to make his rounds. She made her way to a darkened corner of the room to sip at her drink and watch the people on the floor. The music was catchy, to say the least, and she found herself smiling as she watched the people grind and sway to the beat. Most of the women's costumes were far shorter than hers, the hems of their dresses hardly passing their mid-thigh, and when they raised their arms the hemline went with them. She was dressed more for prom than Halloween, but she wasn't complaining. If she didn't have to bump and grind with the rest of them she could hardly count herself disappointed.

Loki came back with a woman in tow that Natasha recognized, and her heart swan dove into a panicked state as Frigga stepped forward. She'd never met the woman before but knew her by sight from the pictures Thor had in his house of them growing up, and right then her gaze was very much focused on Natasha.

"Mother wished to meet you," Loki said before she could say anything else, his gaze imploring, even in the dark light. "Mother, this is Natasha. Natasha, may I introduce my mother Frigga."

Nat extended the hand that didn't have the bracelet on it, terrified of what she'd think if she saw just how much freaking jewelry she was wearing. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," she said with an easy smile, trying to calm herself down. Why-why did she have to have two back to back panic days? Couldn't she go anywhere to enjoy herself?

"And you, my dear. You look absolutely gorgeous, I adore that dress." Frigga took her hand in a firm handshake, before leaning in to kiss both of Natasha's cheeks. The woman had gone with a Greek-esque gown, the material flowing and flattering on her, rippling like water whenever she moved. "You have excellent taste."

"Well, I'm here with your son, so yes, I think it's fair to say I do," Natasha said with a gracious smile. Frigga laughed, as did Loki, whose shoulders relaxed at the joke. Nat was aiming for funny, but not memorable, genial but not sycophantic. It was going to be a long evening if she had to keep this up the whole time.

"Did father not come?" Loki asked, capturing Frigga's attention once more. Nat guzzled the rest of her drink in the meanwhile. Their father better have not been there! She was lucky enough Thor, apparently, didn't go to these sorts of things. She didn't think she'd be able to handle both Thor and their father _and _Frigga.

Frigga shook her head. "No. He plans these things and then never attends, I don't know why he bothers." She let out a put upon sigh that seemed to symbolize things weren't all that great back home, Nat thought, but no one else seemed to notice it. Her attention zeroed back in on Natasha, though. "So, Natasha, what do you do for a living?"

Great.

* * *

Spending the evening evading Frigga's curious questions was not at all how she'd envisioned spending her time at the party. Though Loki tried to offer as much help as he could, Frigga sent him away when he kept interjecting with questions about the company and about the family, questions clearly meant to steer Frigga off the topic of Natasha but were only making her more determined. Nat could hardly form words her mouth was so dry, but drinking more liquor would only meant her tongue would loosen up further and there was _no _way she was going to put herself in that position.

To Natasha's immense luck another of the guests, a blonde woman with startling eyes and a low cut bustier over a pair of green leggings caught Frigga's attention. Her mouth pulled downwards into a scowl as she muttered under her breath: "What on Earth is she doing here? She wasn't invited." Without another word to Nat she turned on her heel and made her way over to the intruder. Loki stole the moment while he could.

"Let's get out of here. Grab another drink for the road, yeah?" he grinned and winked. Nat frowned. Really? That was it? He bought her this dress and the jewelry to show up and then head out? Had bought the costume for that a half an hour, maybe an hour tops?

Or was it just an excuse to get her out, in a costume, when he had her for the weekend? She wasn't sure what to believe, truthfully, but went with him all the same, grabbing another Black Widow drink and following him out. She wasn't in the mood to dance, keen to get out of there before Frigga cornered her again anyway, so in a way she supposed Loki's eagerness to get out of there was all too perfect. She didn't fight it when he tugged her into the car, which had been waiting just around the block, and she shot him a smirk.

"So. You had this planned all along, didn't you? Bring me in for a quickie-."

"I can hardly call that a quickie," he winked as he looked at her. "But can you blame me for wanting to show you off?"

"And did you call the blonde in to make sure that your mother was distracted from grilling the ever loving shit out of me?" she asked with an arched brow as they were drove away from the Odinson Corp building, the lights melting together in the back window.

That made Loki snort. "Of course not. Lorelei told Amora that she'd not been invited to a party."

"And you told Lorelei."

She didn't need him to confirm it, the grin spreading on his lips doing all the work. Wow. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the door, watching him with hooded, bemused eyes, the liquor licking its way up her veins. His attention was exciting, and maybe something she was getting a little too comfortable with. She'd have to figure that out when she got back to her home, not wanting to let it all go too far that she regretted it.

* * *

Loki had just led her inside the hotel room when she was pressed up against the newly closed door, Loki right in her face. His grin was wide and borderline sinister, his eyes having darkened considerably since they'd strode with confidence through the hotel lobby. The look sparked something deep in her stomach, her breath catching and lips parting in surprise.

"About time I got you alone," he growled, voice deep as he caught her by the jaw and squeezed enough to make her groan quietly. "You thought you could escape me forever, did you?"

_Ah_. Let the game begin. Her grin turned lethal, her eyes fierce as she struggled against him, aiming to step on his toes with her heels but he managed to shift her legs with his own so that she couldn't, and her shoes fell off in the process. Bastard. He surged forward, claiming her mouth with his, and she bit down on his bottom lip as he went to pull away, doing her best to pretend as though she didn't want it when her body was singing for it. The struggle just added a little extra oomph. "Go to hell," she growled as his hold on her jaw tightened. He had a knack for sensing when it was just enough pressure, and when it was too much, dancing on the line between pain and pleasure that had her breath coming in hard pants.

"Gladly, but I'm bringing you with me my little captive," he purred, his hand abandoning her mouth to grab her around the waist instead, forcibly moving her into the bedroom where he could throw her onto the bed. She sat up, scooting away from where he prowled at the base of the enormous king mattress, methodically divesting himself of the armor and leather of his outer jacket. She swallowed thickly, her hands balling up in the sheets of the bed. When he made it to the left side of the mattress she took off running at the right, trying to make it to the door. He got there first, of course, long fingers grasping her around the neck and pulling her hard up against him, his breath hot in her ear.

"You really think it's going to be so easy to get away from me?" His fingers wormed their way between them, tugging at the laces at the back of her dress, figuring out how to loosen them in record time so that the fabric pooled on the floor beneath them. She struggled all the harder, feigning that she was going to hit him in the gut with her elbow if he hadn't grabbed her and twisted her around instead. She stepped on his insole, but the look in his eyes made her stop. He was sneering, _enjoying _her struggle given the way his pants tented, and when she tried to shove him off, her hands sinking into his shoulders, he let the blows glance off of him so he could bend down and hoist her into his arms. He threw her, bodily, onto the bed once again, upon her before she could try and escape. She snarled in her fake frustration. Where in the hell was her Oscar?

"You're doing alright?" he murmured as he bent over her to grab at the same leather bindings that he'd used on her for their first evening together. His voice was soft, considerate, breaking the scene for the briefest of moments and the thought touched her.

"Perfect, sir," she smirked up at him, winking.

He leaned down to pinch her left nipple, making her whine. "Good girl. These ought to keep you from trying to run away." He leaned back on his haunches to admire his work, watching as her body writhed beneath the deep blue and black suspenders she'd bought, keeping the sheer hose up, and the matching thong she'd worn with it. There were dark green crystals stuck to her skin and running along the undersides of her breasts, dotted around her navel, and when he finally removed the rest of her lingerie there were more skirting up the curves of her hips, as if she was wearing a chain of gems. He'd wanted her to glimmer, so she'd gone above and beyond. Of course. When had she ever given him reason to doubt, or been disappointed?

He moaned as he dropped down to take one of her breasts in his mouth, fingers skimming her right hip before slipping down further to slip against the silk of her panties, feeling how soaked she was already. "You love this," he hummed against her skin, skimming his teeth against her nipple, looking up at her through his lashes as he moved on to her left breast, swirling the bud of her nipple with his tongue before sucking. Hard. She couldn't help but keen, bucking her hips to try and get some extra friction from his finger, and growling when he refused to play along.

"Either fuck me," she growled. "Or let me go so I can kill you."

He bit the side of her breast, making her gasp, before pulling away to laugh. The sound shot straight between her legs. _Oh hell _that was hot. "I'll give you one shot." He warned her. "I'm going to feast on you tonight, my darling. If you can kill me in the throes of your passion then you'll have deserved the victory. But if I can keep my own death at bay, you're mine. I won't even fight back." His tongue swept over his bottom lip and she strained at the bindings around her wrists. "But I'll show you no mercy, either."

Natasha forced her lips to twist in a dark smile, flashing teeth. That sounded promising. "I look forward to crushing your skull between my thighs."

His grip on her tightened further. "I look forward to having you on my tongue and hearing you scream my name. Don't forget it, darling. There'll be no reprieve if you do." he reminded her, drawing his mouth further down. With deft fingers Loki undid the straps of her stockings, sliding them down her legs, before removing the garters and her panties with them, hardly hiding a moan of appreciation as he saw the extent of her work.

"You little tart." His tone was nothing but amused, surprised even. "See how you've prepared yourself for me? How wet you are for me? You're aching for this." He brought his mouth to her slick folds, lapping at her heat until her back arched and her eyes fluttered shut. She managed to hook her legs on either side of his shoulders, heels digging into his shoulder blades to tug him closer.

"Shut your mouth and just fuck me already," she growled, though the words came out far throatier than she'd imagined they would, especially when his tongue pressed to her clit. The pressure was undeniable, the sensation one of the most singularly isolating, and overpowering, moments in her immediate recollection, as his lips fastened around the bundle of nerves and he sucked. Hard. Her vision went white, her body tense, and the first orgasm hit her without any warning from the sheer surprise and pleasure that had been building since they'd gotten into the car together.

She hadn't intended to squeeze him as tightly as she did, but he didn't tap out or complain as she came down from her high, only pulled away when he absolutely had to. She refused to meet his gaze, still playing defiant, until he forcibly grabbed her by the chin to open her mouth and stick one of his fingers past her lips.

"Get it nice and wet for me, darling," he smirked. "You'll want it."

She shuddered, pretty sure she knew what that meant, and making a show of not entirely wanting to play along, she sucked and rolled her tongue over the entire length of his pointer finger, gasping for air when he finally pulled away. His mouth made its way back to her slit, lapping at her soaked center, as the wet tip of his finger pressed against the pucker of her ass. Her breath caught in her throat, more for show than anything else, and she snarled: "Don't you dare-."

Too late. He eased it past the ring of muscle and up to the knuckle in what felt like no time, and she let out a low groan as his tongue slid inside of her as well, an excellent counterpoint to the pressure she felt building up again.

"You didn't scream my name yet. I'm nowhere near done with you," he promised her when he pulled away, kissing up her thigh before reaching to the far edge of the bed, shallowly pumping his one finger into her. Her toes curled, and when he shifted back towards her she knew without having to look that he'd grabbed lube, hearing the crack of the cap being opened, and preparing herself to feel a second finger press into her without giving him the satisfaction of her looking down. She'd play defiant up until she couldn't anymore, but every time she didn't give him the reaction he wanted he pushed a little further. She could take that all the way to the bank and cash in some excellent, mind blowing sex in the process.

He did end up making her shout, though she'd done everything in her power to keep from doing so. He had two fingers deep in her ass, working counterpoint to the suction of his lips around her clit and his tongue lapping at the nerves, spreading fire licking over every inch of her body. As his hands began to pick up the pace she found herself muttering his name, a reverent prayer for more. She was so damn close to another orgasm, the first having been so quick and now the second taking forever and a day, that she just wanted to _come _dammit all!

"What was that, my dearest?" he asked, pulling away to grin in the most maddening way, all teeth and bright, gleeful eyes.

"Loki, _Loki_," she gasped as his hand pressed a third finger into her, stretching her wide, wide enough to prove to Natasha what it was he had planned on doing. No complaints there, she thought with an inner grin. "Just fuck me already, dammit," she growled, not willing to give up the act just yet. She was slipping, but if she could hold on for a little longer.

If she hadn't been looking she might not have seen the flash of inspiration pass his face. "I'm not so sure you deserve it," he murmured as he withdrew his fingers from her bum. She gaped, feeling empty, and watched in horrified silence as he got to his feet.

"No-no, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, struggling all the harder. "You asshole, get back here and untie me!"

He clicked his tongue in disappointment, shaking his head. "Your language is atrocious darling. If I didn't love the way you moaned my name earlier I'd gag you to keep you from saying such foul things. The thought of those lips of yours wrapped around a ball gag." He shivered, and she bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to turn this back to her advantage. Without her hands she was drawing a blank, but she'd gotten out of more compromising situations before. Right?

He'd moved to one of the side tables and rummaged around in the drawer, grinning when he pulled out something thin and long, the head angled and fatter than the rest of it. She felt herself tense. Well, at least it looked promising. If he was going with sex toys then at least it meant something good was eminent.

She scowled, though. "What the hell sort of perversions do you think I'm into?"

"I know exactly what it is you like," he murmured, running a hand up her thigh. "And I'll have you screaming for more faster than you can believe."

He hardly had to work to press the thin dildo past her slicked folds, and the pressure of it made stars pop behind her eyes, her nails biting into the leather of her bindings, her heels digging into the mattress. He turned it on with a flick, and the curved, blunt head, which was pressed right against her g-spot, vibrated.

"L-oh-ki. Oh, f-uck," she blinked quickly, unable to keep from tearing up at the shock of pleasure as it rocked her body. He moved his fingers out of her, only to replace it with his cock. It was considerably thicker than his fingers, and she keened as he rocked his body into hers, hissing through clenched teeth. He wrapped her legs around his hips so he could press further into her. His pelvic bone bumped against the wider base of the dildo, ensuring that it shifted inside her until her back arched and she keened so loud it echoed in her head. He perched himself atop her, forcing her to look up at him. She could hardly focus on him, the pleasure and sensation altogether too much for her to concentrate, so when he gripped her by the throat and pressed just hard enough to start restricting the oxygen that passed through her windpipe she wasn't sure if the faded edges of her vision were from the pleasure, or asphyxiation.

Either way, she got one of the best orgasms of her life, the first having warmed her up for what was to come. Now, this second hit her like a boulder to the abdomen, cracking her spine as her back arched and her hands clawed at his back. Her whole body tightened around him, and he came with a satisfied grunt above her, his hips pressed flush against hers, breath warm on her face. He released her throat without having to be asked, kissing his way up her arms as he moved to undo her arms, their scene finished, and she melted into his grip as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh, shit," he muttered when her body spasmed, the vibrations of the dildo still inside her a little too much for her to handle at that moment, "Sorry." He slid it out from inside her, turning it off and tossing it somewhere onto the floor. She gave a throaty laugh, her voice worn out.

"It's okay. That was amazing," she admitted, stretching herself out gently on the bed as she looked over at him with a smile. Where in the hell had that all come from? "Maybe we should try role playing more often."

"Now darling," he grinned. "I can't give away all my secrets just yet."

Wait, wasn't that supposed to be her line? She mulled it over as he got up to run the shower for them both, and when he came back she'd eased herself up into a sitting position and a resolution to bring up her revelation with Thor to Loki tomorrow. Tonight definitely wasn't the time for it.


	19. Chapter 19

There was a strange jingle playing at the very back of her mind, a weird sort of noise that played at the edges of her conscious, pulling her up and out of the warmth of her dream and into the very bright, very sweaty and warm reality of her morning. She groaned, hand searching for the familiarity of the nightstand to the right of her bed and smacking Loki right in the nose as a result.

"Oh, fuck, sorry," she muttered as he groaned, his arms releasing her to grab at his stinging face. "Sorry-Forgot where I was. Where's my phone?"

"No idea," he said with a laugh, rolling away from her to avoid her further flailing arms as she managed to roll out of bed and onto the floor of their suite. It'd gotten under the bed, somehow, and she managed to connect the call just before it went to voicemail.

"M'yeah?" she asked, trying to hit the speakerphone button. She was so cogniscent it was ridiculous.

"Ms Romanoff?" Matt Murdock's amused voice answered on the other line. "Did I get you at a bad time?"

"M'nope!" she smiled as she covered up her yawn with the back of her hand. "What can I do you for, Matt?"

He was laughing again even through what she called his professional voice, the one that told her he was there to talk business, not pleasure, with her. "Well it's more what I can do for you, really. I checked over the documents you brought over to the office and was wondering what it was I'm supposed to be finding."

Loki groaned from where he was on the bed. "It's bloody eight in the morning, who calls to talk business at eight in the morning on a Saturday?"

Natasha giggled, not sure Loki was entirely awake if he was speaking so loudly when Matt was on speakerphone. It certainly made Matt pause for a moment. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Uh, yeah. Can I call you back in like, half an hour?" Natasha asked, mid giggle again. "Not that I don't appreciate your work, Matt. I do. I'm just-half an hour? Please?"

"Yeah, sure thing." At least he didn't sound angry, more bemused. "I'll talk to you then, Ms Romanoff."

"Byeeee Matt!"

She clicked off before he could say anything else, flopping back onto the ground with a groan. Her muscles were sore, her legs ached, and she'd definitely not gotten enough sleep but now that she was up, there was no going to bed.

"You know it's a great deal more comfortable up here." Loki had pushed himself to the edge of the bed, peering out at her from behind the thick duvet and many blankets that came with the gigantic king sized bed. His smile was enticing, his eyes warm as they grew more alert and awake, but she knew what would happen if she came up there. Not that it wasn't an excellent way to start the day, but she liked to build the anticipation a little bit more than that now that they weren't extensively on his dime.

Well, on his dime and out of the country. She felt a little more safe to be her own person on home soil, truthfully. At least if he left she didn't have to worry about getting back home.

"It is," Natasha agreed as she slowly got to her feet and placed her phone back at the side of the table. "But I need a shower. Join me?" she asked with a grin. Maybe Matt could wait upwards of forty-five minutes.

It was closer to an hour by the time she managed to untangle herself from Loki, and the hot water had all but run out at that time. She'd swaddled herself in a robe and propped herself up at the table as Loki ordered breakfast to be delivered to the pair of them, Nat calling Matt and keeping it off speakerphone this time around.

"Matt Murdock."

"Hey there, sorry about earlier." she said with a wince. "It's been a crazy morning."

He was fighting back a quiet laugh at that. "Yeah, I bet. Do you have a moment to talk about your contract, or do you want to set up an appointment?"

"Uhh, no, let's just do it now." Her schedule, as Emma had set it up for next week, didn't really allot much free time between her clients and her own personal downtime. She wanted to make a greater effort to spend more time with Thor, and though having Loki as her main client was supposed to grant her some extra time off, well, apparently Emma had missed that message all together. Odd as that all was, too, Rhodey wasn't on the list of clients for her week, and she always had him. Had she pissed him off with her little stunt last time? She hoped not. "She still hasn't paid me in full for the last job I took."

He hummed between what she imagined were pursed lips, and the sound of clicking was audible in the background, as though he was searching for something on the computer. Not being able to see, it must've been a transcribed audio file, she thought, or something like that. "It says in your contract that you're to be paid in full after she takes 45% commission from it."

"Wait, what?" her heart jolted. "45 percent? Last time wasn't it-."

"That's what I was thinking. Much lower. This would be the most recent copy of your contract, wouldn't it? Do you have an older one?"

"I'm pretty sure I gave one to you," she said. "And I'm not at home right now-."

He clicked his tongue quietly, and there was more tapping and clicking in the background. "Yes, found it. We went through an overhaul of files, apologies for taking so long."

She shook her head, even though he wouldn't have been able to see her had they been in person. Old habit. "Not a problem. I could've sworn it was no more than 25 to 28 percent, last time."

"26%, actually."

Natasha chewed on the inside of her cheek. Right. So now that Natasha was doing well, everything else was getting to be more expensive? Why? "Is there anything in there-in the new one-about an increase in time spent marketing or managing me?" Not that Emma had done it, but if she thought she was going to then at least it'd give her a reason to start taking nearly half of what Nat made. Fuck, she'd have to pull a helluva lot more jobs if that was the case, though Emma would benefit from that, too, for not doing any work.

"Nothing. I'd have remembered it."

Shit. She looked back at where Loki'd hung up the phone and sighed quietly. "So. How do we get me out of this, Matt?"

He was quiet as he thought over her question, so much so that she had to check her phone to make sure it was still connected. It was uncanny the way he could do that. "I'll see what I can work out. As it stands right now you need to be bought out in order to cease your contract. It's not going to be cheap, but if I can argue that you're not receiving all the services you're entitled to then there might be a something we can do to turn the situation, legally, back on her."

Good. She smiled at the hope he had for her case. "Gotcha. Well, thanks Matt. Sorry to be such a pain."

"Hey, it's not a problem. You're giving me something to do," he laughed quietly. "It's been quite slow around here."

"Well if any of the other girls are having problems with Emma I'll send 'em your way, promise."

"Think Foggy might die and go to heaven to be working with such lovely girls all the time."

"Then I'll _definitely _be sending them your way." She grinned and they clicked off soon after. Just in time, as it turned out. As she dropped her head onto the table with a low groan, there was a knock on the door, their room service order arriving. Loki didn't say a word as he stepped over and opened the doors, smiling as the man wheeled in a small cart strewn with dome-covered plates. Nat moved to allow them access to the table she was hogging, not hardly caring that she was wearing little more than a fluffy white robe and Loki a pair of loose sleep pants that-yep, those were silk. He tipped the man with an appreciative smile before sending him on his way. Only once the doors were shut did he look back to Nat.

"What's wrong?" he sounded concerned, and she appreciated it, though she wasn't so sure he needed to know about her issues with Emma. It wasn't good business to discuss it over breakfast, she didn't think, and more than that she didn't want to give him more of a reason to think that she ought to quit her job and come live with him permanently. That wasn't her.

Yet, at the same time, he deserved to know that his money wasn't being put to what he thought it was. "Promise you won't get upset?" she asked, accepting a plate from him with a nod of thanks.

"I'll do my very best."

He'd ordered french toast, fluffy and covered in cinnamon sugar, eggs benedict with toast, pancakes drizzled in gooey syrup, and bacon, along with an assortment of fruits. She smiled at his sweet tooth. He was going to end up giving himself some serious health problems if he didn't watch what he ate. As they assembled their plates of food she explained to him that Emma was taking a larger commission from Natasha's work than was in her previous contract, and that she hadn't cleared it with Nat before having altered the contract. assuming that Natasha wouldn't have noticed.

"More than that, I've got a full up week. We discussed getting rid of a few of my clients but now I've got more bookings than ever. And I shouldn't be complaining that business is good but hell, I think it's either to distract me from what she's doing or to make more money now that she's created this additional hike on what she makes from me."

Or both, which was likely the case. She stabbed at her pancakes, pretending it was Emma's face, and scowled. Loki reached over to place his hand over her wrist and she stopped. Shit. She shouldn't have been talking business to a client, but perhaps he knew a thing or two about contracts. He was a businessman after all, right?

"So you've called a lawyer to handle it?" he checked, and he eyed her seriously.

She nodded. "Matt Murdock. He's an ex-client, actually, but an amazing lawyer."

"I've never heard of him."

"He's got a pretty small client base." If she hadn't slept with him she doubted she'd have heard of him either. He liked it that way, she surmised, even if his associate was constantly complaining about fighting to keep the lights on. "I'm sorry," she went on. "I shouldn't have brought up business on your time. That wasn't very professional of me."

Loki shook his head, smiling. "Nonsense. This is our time; whatever is happening you can tell me."

Our. That was a funny little word, and with it Natasha could see exactly what it was he was trying to do. Clever bastard though he was, he was working to prove to her that they could make some semblance of a relationship work, that they were good for one another. She wasn't sure he'd mind the constant sex, but more than that this was a tactical move to get her thinking about being more than just a client and call girl. He was going to try and prove to her why they should try for more, and was paying her to go along with it.

She wasn't sure if she should be surprised that he came up with it, or mildly frustrated that she'd fallen for it and it'd taken her so long to see it. She concentrated instead on eating her breakfast, swallowing her pancakes down even as her throat felt like it was swelling. "It's nothing to be worried about," she finally said after a few more moments of silence between the pair of them. She kept her smile as warm as she could manage. "I'll take care of it." She always did, really. Besides, there were other matters that she needed to speak to him about seeing that it was "their" time together. "But your brother-I ran into Thor at one of the galas I was attending with a client." There was no other option, it seemed, than to come right out with it. She wasn't so sure how wise of an idea it was, but the cat was already out of the bag and there was no putting it back.

Loki's eyes widened at that. "The military gala? Who was your date?"

As though it mattered to him. She shook her head. "Unimportant. Either way, he saw me there, and, ah, we sort of had it outs with one another as to just what it was I do for a living, not the lie I'd been letting him believe since I met him." Something in her stomach twisted at that idea. She still hated that she'd had to, that she'd drawn such an impossible line in the sand to try and keep everything separate and so had had to lie to the one man in her life who'd never, ever, let her down before. It'd felt like a stab in the gut the first couple months, and though it got easier over time, the guilt never really left. Ever.

Even now, thinking about it, it was hurting her chest to think that he was trying to work, trying to move on after Sif had pulled her little stunt, and she'd chosen that time to just happen to go to a gala with Rhodey, compounding his issues. Poor guy didn't deserve all of that. Not that she'd done it intentionally, of course. The whole thing was just a messy, clusterfuck of a situation, exacerbated by shitty timing and guilt on her behalf.

"So," she picked back up, having teetered off with her thoughts before turning back to him. "I haven't told him that you're my client, but I guess it's probably something I ought to consider speaking with him about. Right?" The last thing she wanted, after seeing how he'd reacted to her not having told him about the whole gig to begin with, was to make things even worse by keeping just who her number one client was from him.

Loki nodded, smiling. "I think that's a smart idea, given that last night you met my mother and you were on my arm, and that he knows you and I have met in the past. If you don't he might think there's something else."

And didn't he sound hopeful about that? She didn't comment, just nodded and took a deep swig of her coffee. "Good point," she said when she'd swallowed and set her mug back down. "Are you-you're alright with him knowing that you are one of my clients?" He hadn't been too keen on it before, she remembered, and that he was more comfortable with it this time around, well, she wasn't sure what had changed. Aside from a trip to France and some roleplaying in between.

Loki shrugged, as though it wasn't all that big of a deal. "Honestly I'm amazed he hasn't caught on before now. I've made mentions that I was seeing someone he'd approve of, and dropping hints but he still hasn't picked up on it."

Her stomach dropped out. Seriously? She'd better get to it and tell him, then. If Loki got to it before she did she'd be lucky if Thor ever looked at her again. And what part of keeping their working relationship quiet didn't he get? God, she'd hate to think what he did when something _wasn't _kept a secret.

There wasn't time for her to respond back, though, when her phone went off, the number unknown. Her eyes flicked up to Loki for the briefest of moments before she picked up the phone and answered it. He'd said it was _their _time, after all, so why shouldn't she be able to take a call?

"This is Natasha."

"Oh thank God." Pietro was breathing heavily on the other end, voice clearly strained, and the noise echoed as though he was in a tunnel or bathroom or something.

Her stomach lurched. "Pietro? What happened? What's wrong?"

Loki's brow furrowed at the mention of another man's name, or maybe he knew a Pietro himself, but she didn't stay turned to see what he did next as she stood up and listened to the man babbling on the other end. "I just-I need help, Nat. I need help pulling my head back together. I just fucked up a practice because I can't-I can't get into the right headspace I'm so everywhere. Scattered. I need your help."

She bit her bottom lip. "I'm with another cl-. You sure you don't need me to come get you and bring you to a hospital?" His breathing was getting thinner. God, what was happening to him?

"Hospital can't help me like you can."

He had a point there. She sighed quietly and looked back to Loki. "Alright. You've gotta come to me, though, alright?" She rattled off the address, and set her phone back down on the table when she'd finished talking to him. Loki's eyebrows had risen so far they looked as though they'd escape into his hair any moment now.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying, and failing, to sound nonchalant.

She sighed and pulled her hair still wet hair into a ponytail, looking over at him. "I might need your help with a client of mine. He's coming over right now."

She really, _really _hoped he was into shared experiences, or else that he had something to do to entertain himself for an hour or so.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Alright, this chapter involves a threesome between **Pietro/Natasha/Loki**, involving **Dom/sub, some bondage, the use of a riding crop, oral, come eating, and orgasm denial.** All the fun stuff!

Thanks for reading!

* * *

There wasn't long to really prep Loki on what to expect, though she hoped he'd catch on quickly. He already had the Dom thing done, he'd just never seen her do it to anyone else. "You don't have to participate-I actually have to clear it with Pietro, but he had multiple partners of any gender as something he was interested in in his file," she said, rambling as she struggled to find something acceptable to wear in the clothing she'd brought with her. There wasn't anything that screamed Dom to her, but she decided on a pair of sky-high heels, a garter and stocking set in sheer black lace, a matching bra, and throwing on a sheer black gown that fell down to her ankles. She pulled her hair into a quick, sloppy bun at the back of her head and tried not to think about how disappointed her old dancing mistress would be at how far she'd fallen when it came to putting her hair up. Loki watched in quiet surprise as she went through the motions. If she'd thought she was in Call Girl mode before with him this was a worrying wake up call, forcing herself into a new mindset as she looked up at him. She'd never been around anyone else when she shifted from one mentality to the next, so to speak.

"Pietro has a hard time with slowing down, coming to me for a session helps him turn his brain off. Recalibrate," she explained as she moved to her bag and grabbed a couple of the condoms she'd packed. She never went anywhere without at least two or three, call it professional paranoia, and she was so grateful she had remembered them this time. The pill was one thing, and though Pietro was clean according to the records he'd provided she still didn't like to chance it.

And he didn't pay extra the way that Loki did to earn the privilege of not having to wear a condom with her. She looked back at him and offered him her warmest smile. "I'm so sorry that this is happening on our weekend, but you don't mind, right?"

He shook his head, and she wondered just how honest he was being with her. "Not at all. I'm actually really interested to see you at work, if you don't mind."

She shook her head. "I'll check with Pietro to double-check it's alright. If not, then I'll get a separate room so that you don't have to disappear-."

"I'm not five, Natasha," he said with a quiet laugh. "I'm more than able of finding something to occupy me for an hour."

But it wasn't what he paid her for on the weekends. He was trying too hard to blur the lines between client and boyfriend, and even as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips quickly, not having to lean up as far as she normally did. "I'll make it up to you, or at least refund you part of what you paid," she assured him. If he wasn't going to pay attention to the carefully crafted lines, then she'd reinforce them. "Though you get to see me on the other end, this time." She grinned as she pulled away. "Maybe you'll decide you like it and want to let me Dom for you."

The corners of his lips twisted upwards in a smirk that told her he didn't think so. "I like just about everything you do, especially dressed like that." His hands skated over her abdomen, and if they had more time she'd have let him, sighing when she took him around the wrist and pulled his hand away so she could pull herself back into her working mode.

"If you do decide to join in there are a few rules." A few he'd know already, at least, but she needed to go over them all the same. "He safewords out and it's done. You can't take anything to heart if he says he wants you out of the scene." He was paying her, after all. Shit, she'd have to give Loki a cut of it if he ended up getting involved. "And while you're my client, so is he, and he doesn't have a whole weekend with me to get his fill so I have to see to his needs in his hour-long session. Make sense? So if there's something you'd like to revisit between you and I we totally can-just after he's finished with his time slot."

There was a reason she didn't often work with other men, not liking that they tended to focus mostly on their own pleasure. Not all of them, of course, but it did happen, and she didn't want to alienate Pietro when he needed this so badly that he was willing to call her out of the blue for it.

"I understand. I won't get jealous," he promised her.

She really hoped not.

Pietro made his way to the hotel half an hour after he called it, plenty of time for Nat to get everything together for them. She was grateful that Loki had brought bindings of his own, not having to worry about needing to improvise, though her fingers were tapping a furious, anxious beat on her thighs before he knocked on the door.

Nat breathed slowly through her nose as she stepped to the door and checked out the peephole, smiling to see Pietro in the same jacket as before, though his hair was a hot mess and he looked exhausted.

She opened the door and beckoned him inside, taking the wad of money he offered her off the bat. She hadn't expected him to sink to his knees as soon as she shut the door, his head dipped down in a clear show of subservience. God, he really did need to be brought down. Poor kid.

"One real quick thing, Pietro, before we get started," she coaxed, keeping her voice pointed but soft to ease him into it.

He looked up at her, pupils blown, and his cheeks flushed as he got to his feet. "Wow-sorry," he stammered an apology. "I just-that was my bad."

Nat shook her head. "Not a problem," she assured him. "Just-. I'm not entirely alone, I have another companion here. Your file said that you weren't averse to the idea of adding another partner into our sessions, including other men. Is that something you'd like to try, Pietro? There's no pressure one way or another." It was ridiculous that she had to look up to all these men in her life even when she went through the trouble of wearing heels, but there she was, staring up at him, watching as his mind chewed over the idea.

"Can he start out watching, then if it feels right he joins in?" Pietro asked, sounding hesitant, but Natasha nodded.

"Yes, of course. It's whatever you're comfortable with, Pietro." She squeezed his hand. "I promise. I just wanted to make sure you were alright with it first." At least he hadn't flat out refused her. Loki, who'd taken to wearing a simple button down and a pair of black slacks, had been listening in in the doorway to the bedroom, and took a seat in the corner chair they'd set up just on the offhand chance, Nat able to hear him rustling as he took his spot.

"Do you need anything to drink first, before we get started? Anything at all?" she asked, searching Pietro's eyes.

He shook his head, his breathing slowing. "No. I just need-well, that." His words were jumbled, as though his brain was working too fast for his mouth to keep up. Poor guy.

As soon as he'd declined, however, she switched over and pulled away from him. Her hands fell to her side, her gaze cooling as she regarded him. "Strip down and fold up your clothes, put them on the couch when you're done. Then come meet me in the bedroom and kneel in front of the left side of the bed when you're done."

She watched as his shoulders relaxed even as he stripped the jacket from his shoulders with unprecedented speed, folding it with trembling fingers before draping it over the couch. She didn't wait to see if he followed the rest of her rules, murmuring good boy before stepping away, the every click of her heel accentuated in the silence of the hotel room.

Her gaze fixated on Loki when she stepped into the bedroom. "I take it you heard that?"

He nodded. "I have no problem waiting and watching. Something tells me it's going to be every bit as enjoyable."

Charmer, wasn't he? She certainly hoped he enjoyed it as much as he thought he would. It wasn't long before Pietro padded towards her, kneeling just as she asked to the left of the bed. His breathing had slowed down considerably, and his cock was hard and jutting from between his thighs even as he waited. Natasha moved to the side of him, dragging the nail of her pointer finger up the curves of his spine. She pressed down perhaps a little harder than strictly necessary, and he shivered when she ran it up into his hairline and caught a hold of him by the scruff of his neck, bending his neck backwards.

"You're so good for me already, aren't you?" she purred. "You've missed me."

He was gasping already. "Yes, madam. Please." His pupils, when he looked at her, were shot to high hell, as though he was under the influence of something, but it was just pure lust and unadulterated need for her to help him out that had him so excited. She was more than happy to oblige, smiling and leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. "I'm glad to hear that, Pietro. I've missed you, too. Now get on the bed for me. Arms above your head, feet spread out." She couldn't bind his feet physically, but giving him easy tasks to do would boost his confidence, and he needed to believe in himself as much as possible.

Again, he followed her directions flawlessly, and she reached over him to tie his hands tight. She heard the shifting of fabric, Loki sitting forward in his chair, and she smiled secretly to herself as she arched her back to present her ass towards him. No reason she couldn't have some extra fun, she supposed. He was the one looking, anyway.

"You're going to keep your legs exactly where they are," she ordered Pietro when she brought herself back to her task at hand. "I don't want to see them move an inch. Understood?"

"Yes, madam." He swallowed thickly, and she watched as the muscles of his thighs tensed as though in preparation of whatever it was she was going to do to him.

Which, to be fair, she was making up on the spot. Loki had brought a riding crop with him, he'd shown her and pouted about ruining the surprise, so when she reached for it she couldn't help but smile that she'd get to break it in before he did. She shot a look back at him, turning so that Pietro got to see her backside as she slowly, teasingly, removed the outward gown from over her lingerie. Her eyes locked on Loki's, one of her eyebrows rising as she tossed the gown to the side and brought the leather crop head to her lips, kissing it. She saw that his cock had tented in his trousers, and he bit back a groan as she turned around once more. Slowly, she eased the leather tip down Pietro's well defined abdomen, her eyes lazily looking him up and down.

"I'm going to test you right now, Pietro. You're going to thank me for every strike. Tell me to stop if you feel you cannot take anymore, or to wait if you need a moment. Do you understand?" She searched his face.

He nodded. "Y-yes, madam." The color in his cheeks rose. Good, so he was interested in a little bit of pain play.

The first few strikes were ease, targeting where it would hurt less, with minimal force behind the movement. Once his skin was a lovely red color, and he was all warmed up from his toes to his adorable, flushing face, she increased the strength and force incrementally. He was good at thanking her behind every blow, and eventually he stopped tensing up every time the leather sang through the air on its way to rain down on his skin. Sweat had begun to bead on his brow, and she leaned in to lick it off. He groaned.

"You're doing so well, Pietro. So well for me." She brought the crop down on his left nipple and delighted in the shriek he let out as a result, before the next one connected with his right inner thigh. He was doing a damn impressive job at keeping his legs where they were supposed to be, too, and she grinned at how well he took direction.

"Do you want more, Pietro?" she asked when fifteen minutes of their time had flown by, leaving her 45 to help get him off. Plenty of time, really.

He shook his head. "No, madam."

She put the crop down at the bedside table, and moved to cradle his head between her two hands. His pale eyes stared up at her, irises a thin ring around his blown pupils, and he wetted his lips as she grinned. "You've been so good for me, Pietro, that I'm going to ride your cock. You're not to come until I give you permission, though you are allowed to be as loud as you wish. As before, you are not allowed to move your legs. Do you understand?"

"Yes, madam. Thank you."

Awe, he was sweet. She kissed him, slowly, as her hands found the band of her panties and eased the lace over the swell of her ass until she could pull her feet out from where they'd dropped to the floor. She swore she heard the softest intakes of breath as she spread her legs incrementally, showing Loki just how wet the whole thing had made her, before she moved to take her place on the bed straddling Pietro's legs. From the corner of her bra, she pulled out a condom, and after ripping the foil eased the rubber onto his dick before sinking, slowly, afterwards. If she kept her hips pressed forward, and leaned back onto his knees, she could see the very edge of it pressing against her abdomen, and the sight sent a thrill of delight and pleasure straight to her core as she sank herself down to his very hilt. He groaned atop her, begging for movement which she was more than happy to give him.

With her hands on his knees, however, she could feel that it wasn't going to be easy for him to keep his legs still. When she set a quick enough pace that assured her she'd meet her orgasm within minutes, his legs had grown restless, and the left one had folded as though out of habit, planting his heel into the mattress. Nat stopped immediately, and Pietro's eyes, which had shut, opened so he could stare at her.

"I'm sorry, madam. I'm sorry." He straightened out his leg once more, the fear very real in his voice, but she was already leaning up and over him, hand on his throat. She squeezed, feeling his throat convulse underneath her grip.

"What did I tell you to do with your legs?" she asked, riding him still, waiting to see if it was a one time thing. Even as her voice bobbed, Pietro knew she wasn't something to be messed with.

"Not to move my legs. And I moved one."

"You may have just lost your right to come, Pietro," Natasha growled. Ridiculous. He was paying for the right to come, for her to bring him there, but he didn't need to know that in the moment. He whimpered, apologizing even as she rose up, and brought herself back down just as hard as ever, sucking the air from his lungs.

From there, though, he behaved perfectly. The bindings strained as he tried to pull his arms down, but his legs stayed perfectly in place, even as her cunt tightened around him when her orgasm found her, causing her to cup her breasts and arch her back, her cry muffled on her lips.

"Madam?"

His soft voice had her looking down in a heartbeat, and her heart rocketed to see that he was looking in Loki's direction. "Yes, Pietro?"

"Can he come kiss me?"

Nat looked over to Loki, who had his cock out and in his hand, and shrugged. "Up to you," he assured them both.

She'd never thought that he might want to have a go at Pietro as much her. Huh. She grinned at that and nodded. "So long as he's alright with it, I don't see why not. You're behaving better now."

Pietro whimpered his thanks as Loki stood and moved to loom over him. Their lips met, and Nat had to pause to just watch them go for it, Loki not holding anything back as he moaned into the kiss, crouched down so that Pietro didn't have to strain too hard against the bindings. She swiveled her hips, far more horny than she had any right to be watching two of her clients lock lips, and instead focused on bringing Pietro closer to orgasm and edging him out, making him wait.

His request that Loki fuck Nat, however, was surprising. Loki looked as though Christmas had come early, and was already stripping out of his pants and shirt by the time Nat had registered what it was that Pietro wanted.

"You're sure?" she asked, breaking character for the briefest of moments. She didn't want him to feel pressured. "There's no need if you're not comfortable-."

He shook his head. His lips were swollen from kissing Loki so hard, and his gaze glassy. "I want to see. Please."

Well she wasn't going to say _no _to that. She looked back at Loki and flicked her head to indicate that he needed to get behind her. He wasn't about to fight it, the three of them managing to figure it out so that Nat could swallow Pietro's dick down as Loki slammed into her, setting the pace for the three of them. Pietro groaned, his back arching, but as before he was careful not to let his legs move. She grinned when she pulled her mouth away from his cock, jaw aching, and used her hand instead to keep him on the edge of coming, watching as the muscles of his neck tightened to signify he was getting close.

"Don't you dare co-oh-come." Natasha said, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as Loki chased his own orgasm. He wasn't holding back, knowing all too well that he might not get much more of a chance, but Pietro was watching them with wide, entranced eyes, his mouth hanging open. Nat had an idea and looked back at Loki, nodding quickly to hopefully signify that she wanted him to finish.

He didn't need much more prompting, and a good thing, too. Nat's arm was getting tired, and there was only so much her jaw could handle along with it. A few pumps later and he came, shouting as he slammed his hips against hers. She used the momentum of his orgasm to help push Pietro over the edge, finishing him off with a couple tricks and twists of her tongue as her hand jacked off the base of his cock. "Come for me, Pietro," she whispered before getting right back to work, Loki filling her up from behind as Pietro released his climax into the condom. His muscles went lax once the aftershocks eased their way out of his body, and Nat detached from Loki after leaning back to give him a quick, thankful kiss.

Once she'd pulled away, she crawled on her knees up to position her slit close to Pietro's mouth, her lips curving into a smile. "Feeling adventurous?"

He nodded, swallowing thickly as he stared up at her, pliant and adoring as all get out. He was so damn cute she couldn't hardly get over it.

"Clean me up, darling boy," she purred, reaching to dig her hands into the hair at the top of his head so that she could guide him up to her slit, Loki's come spilling onto his lips. He lapped at it without question, sucking at her clit and pressing his tongue deep into her to scoop out as much of Loki's spend as he could get to. It was divine to say the least and had Natasha coming in no time.

She eased him through coming back around once she'd untied him and gotten him a glass of ice water, rubbing his back gently and asking him to lay on his back so she could rub lotion on the portions of his skin where the crop had left its marks. He sipped at the cool water as she worked, watching her work through slitted eyes, her work helping both of them to calm down. It wasn't her most intense scene ever-those she didn't look back on in fondness-but it had been damn enjoyable for everyone, at least. She couldn't have asked for more.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked as Pietro's hour came to an end, and he eased his clothes back on over his lotion-lathered skin. Loki was standing in the bedroom doorway again, watching the pair with an unreadable expression.

"I'm fine," Pietro assured her. "Much better now, thank you. And thank you," he looked around Nat at Loki, grinning. "You two should partner up to work more often. That was amazing, you're a great kisser."

Nat could've melted through the floor. Great. Just great. Loki thanked Pietro, though, and Nat saw him out soon after. The money that Pietro had given her, plus the small tip, she took into hand and divided it as evenly as she could manage, offering half of it to Loki.

He looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "What's that for?"

"Participating."

He laughed. "God, you don't have to pay me to fuck you."

She only hoped the feeling wasn't all that mutual. She was dependent on him paying her for the same privilege. "I don't mind, really. You worked for it."

He arched a brow. "Really?" One of his hands took the money cautiously, as though he thought it might explode.

Natasha shrugged. "If you're good at something you don't do it for free."

He grinned. "So you're saying I'm good in bed?"

Oh, please. She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Like you needed me to tell you. Did you enjoy yourself, at least?"

His look was enough to tell her that she really was ridiculous if she was asking that, and she snorted and shook her head. "Not fucking me. I meant other than that, watching me work. What was it like?"

His lips formed a small 'o' of understanding, though her was quiet as he thought it over. "Interesting. Surreal, even. Hot to say the very least, though I like it better when you follow my orders." He wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer, before kissing her deeply.

Yeah, she'd thought he might. Still, she wouldn't hold it against him. He'd been incredibly understanding and helpful, what more was she going to say?

"Maybe you've got a promising career in my industry," she teased him, and the bark-like laugh that came from his lips made her jump.

"My foster father would be thrilled to hear that I'm leaving his business to fuck strangers all day. Not that it wouldn't be worth it, especially if I got to work with you," he grinned. "How would we work out, anyway? Simply exchange services without worrying about the price point?"

She'd never thought of it before, never had been all that attracted to the men that worked within the same building. Had never considered that it would be counterintuitive to have two of them accept money for the same services. Huh. "I'm sure we'd figure something out. We're pretty smart, us."

"I'll say." He tugged her out towards the living room, "So, tell me more about my brother's reaction, and what we're going to do about Emma's contract."

It was _we, _now? Shit.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: This chapter deals with Natasha and Thor, and has references to Nat's backstory, in which underage and not entirely consensual sex are mentioned, though there's nothing explicit. Hope you enjoy the chapter! I've had this one planned for quite some time ;]

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She worked to keep the situation as contained as possible, not wanting Loki to become too involved in it all. "Their" time though it might have been, it was still her profession that they were talking about, and he didn't need to know, nor have the right to know, just what it would take for her to get out of Emma's contract. She had another plan in store for doing that. Thor, on the other hand, was a topic she needed to speak to him about now that she'd come out with it.

"I'm going to tell him within the week," she decided after thinking about it for a little while. "I need to. He was one of my first friends when I moved here, and I owe him that much."

Loki nodded, not fighting her on it, and for that she was thankful. At least he was understanding. "Have you lived in New York all of your life, and just came to the city, then? I can't remember Thor bringing you up more than in the past, oh, two years or so?"

Three, she hoped. But Thor had talked about her? How much of a description had he given? Her stomach tightened to think that Loki knew exactly who she was, and exactly how she fit into Thor's life when he'd first hired her. If he'd had a description of what she'd looked like, then when she'd met him before wouldn't it have made sense, for him, to have tried her on to see what it was she could do? Outside of friendship, obviously?

And had he been finding out the dark secrets of her life in order to expose them to Thor before they'd gotten caught up in this whole contract business?

She snapped herself out of these thoughts. Those were for when she was alone, able to separate the details to see for herself just where it was that she and Loki stood, rather than when she was sitting not twenty feet from him, mulling over the past with a mug of tea in her hand.

"No," she said, and her words sounded automatic, but this wasn't a story that she wanted him to know, either. "I moved to New York City three years ago. I interviewed for Emma, then happened to meet Thor at the supermarket. I got the news shortly after that I was hired on."

He arched a brow, curiosity making his eyes brighten. "So you've always known you wanted to be a call girl?"

She tried not to snort. Oh please, he was just reaching now. "No, but I like sex, I'm good at it, and I'm shit with relationships. So I figured it was like having a bunch of boyfriends without any of the actual commitment."

There. She had it out with him now, he knew why they would never work out, and she could see on his face that he was taken aback by her answer. What had he expected? They all had their reasons for getting into the business, hers were just less . . . personal than others. Or at least that was as far as he was going to know.

"Are you being intentionally evasive?" he asked, and though he framed it like a joking question her skin prickled.

"Are you grilling me for a reason?" Her past was her own, and if she felt like talking about it with him, she'd have done it already. Her question took him by surprise enough to stun him out of retorting, his brow furrowing before he let loose a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound as though I doubt you."

Except that it did.

"Some habits die hard, I suppose."

"What, of asking invasive questions of the people you ask to stay the night?" Her words were biting, but she couldn't help it. She'd pull it together from then on, but really? It bothered her that he seemed to think he had a right to that information. If she felt comfortable enough to share then she would. Thor was one thing, but sharing things with Loki? Personal stories and explanations? It was a bit much given how short of a time span she'd known him.

And how much could she really know him, anyway? She only stayed with him when he wanted her to, when he was prepared. Honestly, he could've been a crazy axe murderer who put his insanity away when she was nearby, which would've been romantic in the most perverse of ways if she didn't have the image of him coming after her if she ever decided to break their contract.

"Distrusting people."

Well, she knew a hell of a lot about that, but he didn't see her questioning every motive and every moment, did he? She let her face soften, though. Let him think he had her sympathy, but never her pity. It would only make things easier in the long run, really. "You've had a lot of experience with it, have you?"

"More than any child should."

Well wasn't that vague? Still, she knew the highlights of the story so she supposed there was no reason to rehash it or force him to go over it again. She, unlike some people, didn't push things, and hoped that he'd see that and emulate it. He certainly didn't push the topic any further, settling back to grab a bottle of water from the small refrigerator in the mini-kitchen of their suite. She hadn't even known they made kitchenettes in hotels, but she supposed when people could afford to live in such a place it made sense.

Not that she cooked all that much, but Loki liked to, if she remembered the first evening they had together correctly. But it didn't matter, given that they were staying in a hotel. That's what he ordered room service for, right? She ignored the way her gut twisted at the bill he was racking up. He wanted her company, wanted her there with him for three days a week, so if he was willing to pay for it she didn't need to be guilty, right?

For the rest of the weekend she tried to stick with that, to ignore the guilt that came to settle when he'd order them food, or a dirty movie for them to watch and make fun of. He didn't bring up Pietro, or them working together, and she didn't bring up his issues with being unable to trust anyone. The contract came up once again, but only in the form of him offering to take a look at it. She respectfully declined, and they moved on from there. She called it a successful weekend by the time she left late Sunday night and he didn't fight it. She'd need to find more things for them to do, outings even, once Thor knew about them and she wouldn't have to be so paranoid about him discovering them. There'd been a couple of moments when he'd called Loki to speak to him about business, and Nat had chomped down on her bottom lip to keep from saying anything. Over the phone was not the way she was going to do this, but getting the nerve to actually tell him, in person? That was going to be rough.

So she'd texted him, invited him to go out to drinks Monday night (given that her Monday was, unusually enough, empty) and they could talk. She didn't hint what about, sure he already had a good idea, and tried to let that be the end of the matter.

It didn't make sleeping Sunday night, or finding something to do Monday, any easier. Her stomach gnawed itself from the inside out during her waking hours, and her dreams were fitful and the sleep unfulfilling when she tried to nap to catch up on the hours she'd missed. She took a dirty book to bed with her, forefinger and middle finger sliding over her clit vigorously to try and at least enjoy herself in the meantime, but found a climax wasn't going to happen anytime soon, which only left her more keyed up than before. It was a good thing she didn't have any clients, she wasn't so sure she could focus on anything other than her anxiety.

By the time six o'clock arrived she'd gone through half a dozen outfit choices, not wanting to look too sexed up, or too plain that it seemed like she didn't care what she looked like. She did, and it had always been so effortless before but now? Now she felt like everything was riding on this going well, and she wanted to look good, powerful, confident, without being too overbearing. The black skirt and striped top she decided on would work, and she ran her hands through her hair to comb it out, keeping her make up light. The cab she called for was right on time, and she was at the bar down in Brooklyn a good twenty minutes early. Rather than calling him and letting him know she just headed inside. How was it that she'd managed to get away without thinking in the past? Now it was all she could do to try and shut off her brain for a couple minutes, let alone for the whole evening. The bar wasn't packed, at least, and Nat found a small, concealed table near the far end of the room that had a good view of the door so she'd be able to see when Thor came in and decide for the last moment if she needed to bolt or not. A waitress came to take her order, though she stuck with a beer for the time being. It wouldn't get her drunk, just take the edge off, and though her stomach wasn't entirely up to eating she placed an order for fries, too. It'd give her something to do, at least.

She'd left her phone, face up, on the table to keep from looking too ridiculous when she kept checking the time, able to be far more subtle about it when it was right in front of her rather than reaching into her purse every five seconds, and the screen lit up with a text from Thor assuring her he was nearly there.

She wished it would've helped her calm down, but it only amped the anxiety up further. The beer tasted sour in her mouth but she chugged half of it without taking a breath, grateful for at least having something else to do other than wait. By the time Thor had gotten there she'd polished the first off, half of the order of fries, and was well onto her second beer. He looked across the bar when he stepped inside, brushing his wet hair out of his face from the rain that must've started, and when his eyes locked onto Natasha's his face softened with a grin. She tried to return it, though it felt awkward on her lips and she distracted herself by looking back down at her phone. He was fifteen minutes early. Was he as nervous about this as she was?

"Hey, you look good," he complimented, stepping closer to sit beside her and pressing his lips to her temples. It was a familiar enough gesture that had her stomach flopping.

She smiled as he took his seat. "Thanks, so do you." He always did. His broad figure filled out his black on black suit well, and while Loki exuded cool craftiness in his suit, a mystery wrapped in well tailored fabric, Thor oozed confidence and power, even without having to throw his weight around. He wasn't a man that you wanted on the opposing side, and she hoped she'd never find out what that felt like.

They exchanged small talk that felt stunted and deformed as Thor ordered a whiskey on the rocks, groaning that he hated Mondays, and that the merger they were working on was taking up way too much of his time. "It was all so much easier when I could just pretend to do work and get away with it," he teased her with a wink after taking a sip of his drink. Nat had since polished off the second beer, but didn't order a third. She needed to slow down.

She nudged him, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, Thor. I can't imagine you wouldn't be able to push it along further. You're the son of the CEO."

He pouted. "Turns out that only gets you so far. Too bad, right?"

She snorted. Yeah, too bad. It was an easy segue to get to talking about Loki, the topic already open and on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't do it. The words weren't coming, the topic wouldn't be broached. She'd laid with his brother not forty-eight hours ago, and she couldn't bring it up to him, her best friend. Her hands twisted and her gaze lowered to the roughly sanded table, wondering whether or not Lauren still loved AJ as the carving in the far side of the table suggested.

"We don't have to talk about your work if you don't want to."

Thor's voice snapped her out of her head, and she looked up at him, her brow furrowing. "We don't?"

He shook his head. "I'm not going to make you tell me more than you're comfortable with. I thought about it, and yeah, I'm not gonna pretend that it didn't hurt that you lied to me. It did. But if you're not comfortable coming out with what it is you do I can't force you to tell me. I won't."

He'd stopped wearing his engagement ring, she noticed, as he took her hands in his and squeezed. His blue eyes were kind, understanding, and it was like her tongue had unraveled itself as the words spewed forth. "I started long before I met you, honestly. It was why I left Russia." Oh, shit. This wasn't what she had meant to tell him. Now that she'd started, though, stopping wasn't an option. "I grew up in an orphanage ever since I can remember, my parents having died shortly after I was born. It wasn't comfortable, and I never got adopted, but the way that the Madam who ran the orphanage saw it if you were living there, you were using up valuable space, food, and a bed. So, as a way to make up for what I owed her . . . I was told that either I could get a factory job, working well over 40 hours a week along with my schooling for minimum pay, or I could find other, less legal means of earning money. She ran a business of her own on the side-I mean, when you have unimpeded access to girls as they get older, before they age out of the system, why not?" She tried for a small laugh that sounded more like firewood breaking than anything resembling humor. Thor's eyes were wide but he kept quiet. She appreciated that, because apparently she wasn't going to finish telling him everything anytime soon. "I tried the factory job when I was 15, after I ran away from the orphanage. It didn't end well, and a man named Alexei brought me back. One of the girls at the orphanage, Yelena, took me under her wing. Taught me everything she knew. She was two years older than I was, and she'd been working for the Madam as soon as she was old enough, too. I don't know how I would've made it without her, really. She slipped me vodka for my first time. It helped-with everything, you know?" She pursed her lips, looking down. Her nails had dug grooves into the wood of the table, and with some effort she released it. "And more than my mentor she was my friend. She, and Alexei, one of the boys who I'd met at school. He and Yelena were close, and they were two of my firsts that I-that I wanted."

She had to blink quickly, chewing on the inside of her cheek to give herself something else to focus on. The pain, present and real, brought with it the taste of blood to her tongue, and helped distract her from the past. He'd wanted to know, so he was going to hear it. "Even after Yelena turned 18 she wasn't, really, able to leave. She'd earned a reputation for herself that would've gone with her wherever she went. Besides, as Madam B understood it, Yelena hadn't paid off her debt yet. I knew that if I didn't get out of the country I'd be going down the same road as she did, that I'd never get to choose for myself, and for six years I told myself that as soon as I could I was getting out of there. For my 22nd birthday, Alexei found me some papers to get me out of the country, and while he and Yelena ran away to Europe to get married I came here. I had just interviewed for Eve Services the afternoon before I met you, and before you ask me why I didn't try to do something else . . . I didn't have any other skills. I knew what I could do, what I was good at doing." She gave a dry laugh. "And honestly it was a stop gap measure to make the bills, most of my money having gone to finding an apartment and buying food. I knew I could make more on my back than on my feet as a waitress, or doing something else, and now? I get to call my own shots, I decide which clients I want, and I like it. Hell, I like sex as much as the next girl, but I like it even more now that I can say yes, and more importantly now that I can say no."

She fell silent, her throat burning from having spoken so much, and she murmured an excuse to head to the bar to get another drink, their waitress preoccupied with another table. It was fine, really. She needed the air, needed to get away from his pitying gaze. She'd never told anyone what it was that she'd done in Russia, didn't know what it was about Thor that she'd told him then. It would make people look at her differently, make them second guess her character. If she'd been used at such a young age, how could she possibly enjoy sex ever again? Let alone make a living off of it?

But that had been what Yelena, and Alexei, had taught her. She waited on her vodka martini and thought about them. She hadn't heard anything from them since she'd left, wondered how it was they were, but had no idea how to go about finding them. Facebook might've been an option, but for all she knew they could've changed their names. She'd changed hers. Natalia Romanova had died on that plane to the United States, and Natasha Romanoff had taken her place, stepping out onto the free soil of La Guardia.

She thanked the bartender and tipped him handsomely when he slid the drink her way, Nat sipping at it as she turned and slowly made her way back. Thor looked deep in thought, and she recognized the look as the one he made when he was trying to think up something to say without sounding like too much of an idiot. As she sat down next to him he opened his mouth, and she smiled and shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize. It's good to get this out in the open. To talk about it." At least she was guessing it was. Right then she couldn't feel much past the shock that she'd actually done it.

"I wasn't-well maybe I should have. I was going to say that you're so much stronger than anyone has ever given you credit for."

She nearly cracked her neck from the strength of the double take she did as she looked back over to him. Her, strong? A survivor, yes. Sneaky, cunning, quick-tongued and witted, yes. But strong? It didn't compute, and her brain felt as though it was actually sizzling in her skull as she tried to process what he'd meant by it.

He laughed at her expression, which she was sure was akin to being struck dumb, and shook his head. "Don't look at me like that. I mean it. You've been through so much and you're still here. You're still trying. That's a damn miracle, Tasha."

If he said so. But there was some truth to his words, this she knew. It was a miracle she'd survived this long, that she'd managed to become a legitimate United States citizen, That she'd gotten out of the Red Room at all, never to see Madam B or the horrible men that she had the girls parade in front of. Yes, that was a miracle, and maybe it was that she was drunk on his praise, or the liquor, but she leaned in to kiss him. She'd always wanted to know what it would feel like if she was honest with herself. Once she realized she could want a man, and that she had every right to her own sexuality, Thor had been the first she'd openly fantasized about, excluding Yelena and Alexei, of course. But she'd been able to be with them. Thor had always been too far off, on the distant shores of committed relationship and monogamy, right off the coast of best friend isle. Now he was in her waters, single, gorgeous, and she was definitely saying yes if he was.

That he returned the kiss with just as much passion told her he wasn't about to say no.

Her apartment was closest, and they'd hardly made it through the door before their lips met again, Thor leaning down to keep it going as long as they possibly could, his suit jacket fell to the ground in a heavy thud, soaked from the continuing rain. The press of his body against hers kept her warm, the shivers that had her skin rising with goosebumps coming from the sheer thrill of his skin against hers. Her fingers worked furiously at the buttons of his shirt as he untucked her sweater and pulled it up and over her head, tossing it away. Her nipples hardened against the thin fabric of her bra, and she groaned as his hands cupped them through the fabric. His thumbs rubbed against the hardened, sensitive flesh and it was like he had a damn shortcut to everything that aroused her. The scrape of his beard against her jaw as he mouthed his way down the column of her throat stole her breath and she could hardly think further than 'more' as she shoved his button up off, then ripped his undershirt down the middle so she could slide it off his powerful arms. He grinned against her skin, body trembling with a deep laugh, as his hands left her breasts to undo the zipper down the back of her skirt. She shimmied out of it, and Thor didn't bother waiting to pull her panties off, simply pushed them aside and pressed one, then a second, finger inside her. Her spine stiffened, mouth falling open, and she hiked a leg around his waist to draw him closer.

He hefted her up into his arms, sitting her on the kitchen counter so he could get a better angle. The noises coming from her mouth didn't sound human, or familiar in any stretch of the imagination, as he pressed his fingertips against her g-spot. The pressure was all too much and had her shuddering and coming in his grip even before he'd gotten his pants and boxers off, her nails digging into his shoulder blades as she clung to him. Her head hit the cabinet behind her as Thor eased his fingers from inside her, replacing them with his cock half a heartbeat later, and she had just enough cognisance to look down at him to watch as he eased into her. If she wasn't feeling it at that moment she wouldn't have thought it'd fit, and it was a sight to behold as he slid himself to the hilt inside of her, a soft hiss leaving his mouth. Nat's hands left his shoulders to unhook her bra, and pulled him closer against her as she rocked her hips against his, wanting to feel every stretch of skin underneath hers. He was more than happy to acquiesce, pupils blown to high hell as he stared at her. His skin looked like melted gold, the muscles shifting with shocking ease, as he held her in place and slowly fucked into her, his cock hitting every perfect point in her body. She could do little more than grunt and groan, huffing as he started to pick up the pace.

Thor's lips pressed to hers once again, one of his hands cupping her left breast as his right hand left bruises on her hips from gripping her so tightly she thought she'd never be free from feeling it. The perfect edge of pain and pleasure set her off once more, but Thor didn't finish until they'd moved from the kitchen to the bedroom, all but fucking her through the mattress before he reached his climax. Natasha had lost count of how many she'd had in the meantime, Thor switching things up until the evening had melted into sensation and pure, unadulterated pleasure.

When he came it was with a shout she felt in her bones, his hands gripping the headboard of her bed, her legs wrapped tight around him so that she could feel every shudder and shake of his form as he squeezed his eyes tight. With little more than light from the window he was a sight to behold, the muscle of his frame taut, his eyes almost a translucent blue when he opened them to once more stare down at her, and she felt her heart catch in her throat as his body relaxed and he leaned down to kiss her slowly on the lips. She wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him against her, and when he rolled them both onto their sides she found it easy to sleep with the steady thump of his heart echoing in her ears.


	22. Chapter 22

Mornings, as far as Natasha was concerned, were a bitch. A serious pain in her ass that had her groaning as soon as the first rays of the morning hit her closed eyelids. She'd have thrown a pillow over her face if it hadn't been caught under something ridiculously heavy. Something that was pulling her in closer to it, an arm wrapping around her waist. It was too broad to be Loki, and for the briefest moment of panic her eyes flew open as she turned to look back behind her. The back of her head collided with Thor's chin, and he groaned in surprise and pain as he opened his eyes, too, his arm releasing her waist.

"Morning," he said with a groan, shifting out from under her as she turned to face him. Wow. Okay, what in the hell was last night?

"Yeah, you too." Memories from what they'd done after coming home from the bar hit her hard as a train, hips twinging from where he'd gripped her, and she grinned in spite of herself as she looked down at them. Well shit, man had a firm grip. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah. Wow." He groaned again as he tried moving, looking over at her with a wide grin. "Where in the hell did you learn that whole thing with the legs and the contortionism?"

She snorted and leaned her head to the side, cracking her neck, before repeating the gesture on the other side. "C'mon. A good call girl never reveals her secrets."

"Right," he drew the word out longer than strictly necessary and she shoved him. She might as well have hit a brick wall.

She'd expected the morning to be, well, awkward, the pair of them tip-toeing around one another, anxious to get out of each other's hair but . . . he was her best friend, at the end of the day and every other day before that. He offered to make her breakfast while she showered, and she told him if he could whip something up in her non-existent pantry she'd be amazed before she slid away to clean up. She'd thought that hearing him in her kitchen would be strange, that listening to him hum and work his way just down the hall from her would have her in full out panic mode but really? It was like any other morning she had with him, save that the soreness between her legs was a new one.

And damn, he must've been a miracle worker, because by the time she came back out with a towel wrapped around her head, a thin tank top, and pair of shorts he was flipping fluffy pancakes and singing along with his iPod. She tried not to snort when he started swaying to the beat, biting her bottom lip and grinning as he turned around to face her.

"Feeling better?" He didn't even blush, and she rolled her eyes as he plated up pancakes for her and offered them to her. "Sorry, you're somehow out of syrup but have taken out stock in pancake mix."

"Yeah." her voice was dry. "Did you check the expiration date? Pretty sure this was the shit I bought when I first moved in."

He waved it off. "Pancake mix doesn't expire, now sit down and eat your breakfast. I worked hard for this."

If he said so. She did as he asked, though, thanking him quietly as he finished up cooking and left the dishes in the sink to soak. He didn't sit, standing just opposite her instead as they ate in the comfortable silence.

Only when she was about three-fourths through her last pancake did Nat speak. "Last night. I, ah. That was a one time type of deal. I mean, with you and Sif-."

"It was an in the moment sort of thing. Not that you weren't amazing," Thor added with a grin she'd seen one too many times when he was trying to lessen the blow, but she nodded.

"Yeah, you were, too. Just-your brother's one of my clients."

Whomp. There it is.

Thor's eyebrows shot up, and his lips made a small 'o' of shock. The following laugh, well, that wasn't expected at all. When he doubled over from the force of it all she began to seriously worry she'd broke his brain or something, and was about to hop out of her seat to check on him when he resurfaced, face red.

"No fucking way. Was this before-or after?"

"Before your party, actually."

"So when I suggested you two date-."

"Yeahhhh."

He started laughing all over again. If she'd have known that he was going to take it so well she'd have told him freaking weeks ago.

* * *

In the end they decided not to tell Loki. It wasn't any of his business, her private life, and Thor wanted to at least try and get a move on with his life if he couldn't make things work with Sif. And really? Friends just worked better for the both of them. Nat wasn't willing to compromise it by trying to fit anything else in there, last night aside. It was better just left as a memory, she supposed. When Thor left she found herself smiling as he excused himself, and waited a few minutes until after he'd left to finally come back to herself. Last night had been a serious lapse in judgement, and really she was just relieved that it'd turned out alright in the long run. The last thing she needed was for things to get even more complicated than they were, and Thor hadn't freaked out at all about Loki being her client.

Maybe it'd just been because of the morning, but she was taking it as a damn victory. Cleaning up the dishes helped to level her head, and once she'd finished and showered she'd shot Murdock a quick phone call to let him know that she would be heading over within the hour.

Afterwards, with anxious fingers, she tapped Tony Stark's phone number into her phone before she could change her mind.

Matt's office in Hell's Kitchen was in a surprising state of disarray when she arrived by cab, thanking Gray and tipping him for having picked her up and gotten her where she needed to be so quickly. He was a good man, excellent at his job, and aside from asking how it was she was doing didn't bring about more questions than strictly necessary to get a good feel for how the day was. It was an exceptionally rare ability to have, really. She'd knocked on the door to Matt's office, and stopped short once she stepped inside at the urging of Karen on the other side. The whole place was a wreck, papers strewn across Karen's desk, Foggy sitting on the floor sifting through another pile while Karen opened up the tops of boxes filled with files, searching for the right one. Matt was nowhere in sight, and as Karen looked up at Natasha she offered her a brief, apologetic smile.

"Looking for Murdock, right?" she asked, and Natasha nodded. Karen gestured in the direction of his office, and it was all Nat could do to sidestep her way around the mountains of papers and litigation that tiled the floor. What in the hell was happening?

She knocked on Matt's door, grateful to be let in and escape the curious glances coming from Karen, who wasn't near as subtle as she thought. Still, she was an excellent addition to Foggy and Matt's team, and Nat couldn't be mad at that.

She recognized her contract out on Matt's desk, and he rose when she stepped inside, smiling in her general direction with his eyes hidden behind his red-tinted glasses. "Natasha, thanks for coming by. Sorry about the mess outside."

"Not a problem," she assured him, stepping closer so they could embrace before she sat down opposite him. He followed suit. "Everything alright?"

"We've had a major breakthrough in a case that a mutual friend was asking us to look into, but it requires going back to find some particularly strange sort of reports, and unfortunately the majority of them are extensive. I offered to help them with it, but by the time it takes my computer to translate everything for me they could go through about a dozen others, so I've been taking on the rest of the workload to make up for it." He winced. "Just another day at the office."

"You need a second secretary," Natasha teased, causing Matt to laugh and shake his head.

"I could use about half a dozen other employees, but with what money am I supposed to pay them?"

"Too true."

They shared a quiet laugh between them before Matt got back down to business. "So, what would you like me to to help you with Ms Frost? I could file a legal action against her-it's unfair and against your contract that she's taking out so much more without consulting you about it, let alone not telling you at all. There are grounds to sue her there, but a court case will gain attention, especially given your profession, and I know how keen you are at being subtle about your job. It won't paint you in a good light, either, I'm afraid to say."

One of the many reasons she liked Matt he respected her privacy, and she'd never once felt judgment coming from him about what it was she did to make a living. More than that, he was realistic, and he let her know exactly what it was she could come to expect. Invaluable, again. "What if I got bought out? There's no reason that that would go big, right?"

He was quiet, then shook his head. "Do you have a potential buyer in mind?" He sounded impressed, and it made her grin.

"I've been solicited by a friend of a friend who's looking to get started in the adult escort business, interestingly enough. If I get him to draft up a contract think you'd mind meeting with him as my lawyer?"

His smile widened. "Wouldn't mind it at all. Talk about perfect timing. Do I know him?" He was only teasing her, but what the hell? Why not give him something to go off of?

"Does the name Tony Stark ring a bell?"

His jaw dropped.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry about the short chapter, but I figured an update was better than nothing? Thanks so much for reading, hope everyon's holidays were wonderful!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: This chapter revolves around Loki and Natasha near the middle. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Putting the call through to Tony Stark, as it turned out, wasn't near as nerve-wracking as Nat had thought it would be. He'd been glad to meet with Natasha and Matt at a place of their choosing. His partner, Pepper Potts, came with. As she and Matt headed over towards the pair, already sitting down at an empty table in the small cafe close to Hell's Kitchen that Nat had picked out, she decided she very much liked the look of Pepper. If Tony was business casual, Pepper was casually business. She wore the pale blue suit like she was born to, her strawberry hair perfectly curled under in a way that Natasha's would never behave long enough to. Her gaze was warm, but decisive, as it landed on Natasha's hand on Matt's arm, and she and Tony stood up when they came close enough. Matt was a calm tether on her arm as she led him closer, smiling when neither Tony or Pepper looked shocked that he was blind. She wondered if they'd looked Matt up, guessing so. They were professionals at doing business, it only made sense for them to have done their research.

Pepper spoke first, not extending a hand likely thinking it'd be rude to shake Natasha's hand but not Matt's. "Miss Romanoff and Mr. Murdock, thank you so much for meeting with us."

Matt dipped his head, face transforming as he smiled as well, and squeezed Natasha's arm to signal he was letting go. She relaxed. "Of course, thanks for taking time out of your schedule."

Tony gave a quiet laugh at that. "It was not a hardship, trust me. This is much more interesting than looking over business."

Matt said nothing, but Nat could practically feel how wary he was at that line. Confident Tony might've been, but a businessman who didn't look over his business spelled trouble. Deals got made, compromises happened, and more often than not Nat figured things didn't turn out well for the man or his employees.

Still, he carried on, his gaze falling on Natasha this time. "I hadn't been so sure you'd call me back."

Nat allowed herself a small, private smile, as they all took a seat. "Well, you made quite the impression, clearly."

"I usually do."

Matt stifled a snort behind his hand and Pepper rolled her eyes. Nat wondered just how often she heard the same lines, and with a grin resolved to ask her. The truth of the matter was a week had passed without incident from Emma, but Natasha had noticed once more that the money deposited into her account for the quick jobs and one offs that she'd completed were lighter than they'd ever been. Did Emma simply assume that Nat wouldn't have noticed? That she could get away with it as long as she wanted?

Those days were numbered. Even if Stark didn't work out, Nat was confident enough in her abilities that she could maybe go at it on her own. Maybe. Still, she'd wait to see if he was really as hands-off an entrepreneur as he seemed, or if it was for show. If all else failed she'd go to Loki and make good on his offer to buy out her contract, then work from there. Her stomach turned with the idea of having to put herself in such a situation, but she wasn't going to be powerless and at the mercy of her contractor ever again.

The waiter came by with waters for the table, and took their drink and food orders with a smile on his face. If he recognized either Tony or Pepper he didn't say anything, just hurried off to put their orders into the computer. The air shifted between them all and Matt sat up a little in his seat. She watched him unfold his fingers from where he'd laced them in front of his chest, and now they held to the arms of his chair. Nat felt her skin prick with anticipation, and Pepper steepled her fingers on the table. Tony, as ever, was unruffled, though Nat doubted the change went unnoticed by him.

"So, what did Emma do to piss you off?"

"Tony." Pepper glared.

He shrugged, and Matt leaned over to murmur to Natasha: "You don't have to answer."

But he didn't advise against it, so why wouldn't she? "She altered my contract without so much as consulting me about it. As of the last three months I took on a wealthy client, and since the creation of my long-term agreement with him Ms. Frost has been taking out more of the money I've earned as commission, per the current, revised version of my contract that I'd never seen until I asked for a copy." She locked her jaw. "It's not simply on his transactions, but on all of them, no matter the services rendered. I'm not about to be pimped out without getting what's owed to me."

Pepper's brow furrowed and she set down her water before she could take a sip. "Have you thought about legally fighting it, rather than altering your place of employment? Are you even allowed to look at other options?" The tone in her voice wondered whether or not this was even supposed to be happening.

Matt stepped in seamlessly. "It's perfectly legal, and well within her contractual rights, for her to cultivate a second employer, or for her contract to be bought out. I cross referenced what her contract says with her HR rep. As for the first part of the question, my client is looking to keep her name out of the tabloids, along with her client's. If his name escaped to the wrong people it could be disastrous, and her own reputation would be ruined. As it's not a matter of national security, there's a slim chance we could even get a private trial." He leaned over to his briefcase and pulled out Natasha's contract with ease, having folded it a certain way to make it easier to grab. Pepper took it after he'd slid it over, but said nothing as the waiter came back with the wine she'd ordered for the table. Nat's fingers tapped on the edges of her seat as Pepper passed the contract over to Tony, whose eyes were nearly a blur as he read through it.

When he'd finished he peeked over the top at her. "So you simply looked at your bank records and found the differences?"

Natasha nodded. She hadn't thought it was smart of Emma, either. "I don't take my money for granted, and I'm looking to start up some classes to get my Associates at the community college. I won't be young and flexible forever," she teased. "So I need to be able to afford what classes I can take."

Tony grinned. "I can understand. How much would it be to buy it out?" he asked, looking from Pepper to Matt.

"150k." Pepper's gaze cooled ever so slightly as she looked across the table at the pair of them, calculating. "That's hefty, for a girl who's already looking to move on to take classes."

Natasha pressed her lips into a thin line. She shouldn't have said anything, but honestly hadn't thought Pepper would find it a bad thing. Wasn't furthering her education the smartest of options? As an investment, perhaps not.

"If you're worried about my work ethic, or my ability to complete my job, I assure you these worries are unfounded," she said as her brain worked in double time.

"I don't worry about your work ethic, I'm certain it's beyond repute. I worry about whether or not you're worth it. No offense."

Yes, they didn't have all the money in the world now that Stark had gotten out of the weapons business, he'd insinuated that. Natasha let herself smirk. "You can ask Colonel James Rhodes just whether or not he thinks I'm worth it. He recommended me to you, didn't he?" she asked, leveling her gaze at Tony. "Of course I'd be happy to give you a hands on demonstration if you'd like." She finished by looking back at Pepper. She didn't think it'd be her first time with another woman.

It was a mark of just how long Pepper must've been working with Stark that she didn't even flinch at the come on. Tony, meanwhile, had his full attention leveled on the pair of them. "Can I pay you to make it happen and to watch?"

"Tony." Pepper's tone was clipping, and he sulked like a puppy denied a treat. Pepper turned back to Natasha. "I appreciate the offer."

Natasha shrugged, still smiling. "Any time you think I command too high a price you're welcome to try me out yourself. If you're good at something, you never do it for free, right? I know my value, and yes I'm not cheap, but I'm worth it. I've been in this business for three years without a complaint, I've got quite a few more years ahead of me, and I bring with me a slew of clients. Including Rhodey."

Matt was smiling as he sat back in his seat, listening to them speak. It was good to see that he was proud of her, but it felt even better defending herself. She knew what she could do, she knew herself, and dammit she wasn't going to let this opportunity go without fighting for it.

Again, the talks paused as the waiter came back with food, and Natasha seized the moment to take a sip of her wine. She nearly choked on it; Loki had served her the same wine when they'd had their first evening together. That'd been the start of something new for her, though she hadn't known it yet. Maybe it would bode well for here, too.

Pepper waited until everyone had finished eating before starting in on her own talks, the rest of the meal having gone without a problem, though she'd accepted the rest of Matt's literature to look over while she ate. It'd felt nice, almost friendly. Now, though, this was what they'd come for. "As Tony undoubtedly told you, we're looking to expand our industries, and the escort services that we'd provide would be higher end. You say that you have experience with wealthy clients already, evidenced by your knowing Rhodey, and your other high-end client, who I can see has quite the checkbook. I appreciate your experience, and you handle yourself with tact enough to make you an asset wherever you work."

Natasha swallowed thickly. So why did this sound like a denial?

"Simply put, I want to be sure that we can rely on you to make back what it is we buy you out for. A good investor looks for something that she can acquire and make a profit from, as I'm sure you understand. As you said, you don't do any of this for free because you're good at it, so we can't afford to take charity cases no matter how promising they sound." Pepper pursed her lips, silencing Tony with a hand on his shoulder when he went to speak.

Nat felt her face slacken as she hid behind a mask of indifference and a lack of emotion. Oh. Maybe she hadn't been as charming as she'd thought, and for the first time in quite a while the first bubbles of self doubt and disbelief popped in her gut, filling her mouth with the taste of acid.

"That being said, I'd like to personally welcome you to Stark Industries, Miss 'll fax all the final litigation, you simply need to serve the papers to Ms Frost yourself." Pepper cracked a smile that had Natasha's head spinning as she tried to make sense of what she'd said and what Natasha had been so sure she'd hear.

Tony laughed, and the sound seemed so far away that she had to look up to make sure he was still relatively close. Matt relaxed just beside her.

"Damn, Pepper. You're cold."

"One of us has to be good at keeping our emotions in check." Pepper teased him, before leaning to her own briefcase and pulling out a checkbook and a pen. She scribbled something out onto it, before ripping it out and handing it over. "Consider this your first year's tuition paid. You're right about your abilities not lasting forever, but the higher the clientele the more educated you'll want to be. I'm not implying that you are not singularly gifted with intelligence, but many of the clients we seek to vet out will be men who are looking for a conversation as well as a warm body in bed with them, if you'll forgive me for being so blase about it. We'd like you to continue your education, half or full-time status, whatever you feel appropriate, and we will continue to help pay for it so long as your grades remain satisfactory. I will draft the papers to be served to Emma by the end of next week. By that time you ought to tell your clients that you are changing job venues-do not explain to them, obviously, why or give them anything else but this number so they can set up their appointments." She handed over a small card.

'Stark Industries, Line 2356.'

"You're going with the same name?" Natasha asked.

Pepper shrugged one shoulder. "It carries the prestige with it already, and it's a little more subtle than Eve Industries, which sounds like a porn studio name."

"Pretty sure it is one," Stark muttered. Pepper ignored him.

"And what about my clients that are not near as well off as those you're looking to attract?" she asked. She wasn't going to let go of all of them; fuck, she'd meet them on the side if she had to. She couldn't imagine Clint paying an exorbitant amount of money for a snuggle buddy.

Hell she was already unsure just why she charged him for that to begin with, truthfully. It was as relaxing for her as it was him.

"Aren't you a regular Robin Hood?" Tony asked, and she could tell by the glint in his eye he was teasing her. "Giving world class sex to the less fortunate. You ought to be offered a sainthood."

Matt actually snorted at that and Nat grinned.

"Pretty sure that's not how it works."

"Well it should."

Pepper spoke over him. "We'll work with them. You've already got a rapport with them, and at the moment we're seeking to turn a profit, so we'll grandfather them in on the terms already established at Eve. Sound fair?"

Natasha looked to Matt, who nodded. "It's the best offer we'll likely get," he murmured to her.

She turned and nodded. "Fair to me. We've got a deal on my end of the bargain." The check burned in the wallet where she'd stowed it, and she couldn't help but grin as Pepper extended her hand to shake and finalize the meeting.

They picked up the check, and Pepper assured both Natasha and Matt they'd be in touch with the pair of them, and that after the initial buy-out contract they'd meet for a second, more in depth one. They weren't exactly in the right place to be talking about Natasha's safe words and what sexual restrictions she had. Tony left with a pep in his step that made Natasha grin, and as she took Matt's hand in her own to lead him out she squeezed it.

"Holy shit. That just happened, right?"

"Unless we're both hallucinating, in which case I want my money back." Matt grinned. "You did it."

"I thought she was going to turn me down, _holy fuck_." She laughed as they headed out to the busy New York streets to catch a cab. "Oh my God, I did it. We did it. Thank you so much." She turned, and he opened his arms, already anticipating a hug. He was warm against her, and she buried her face in the crook of the neck, drawing strength from the heat. She was leaving Eve, she'd told Thor about what it was she did and had his support, and she was going to get a degree from school. Three years ago that would've been a fabled dream, laughable at how naive she was to think that. Now, she felt the insane desire to cry, but pushed it back. She'd have time later, now was the time for celebrating.

By the time she'd gotten back to her apartment she'd already texted Loki, asking him if he wanted to meet her a day early. She'd barely had to wait a full minute before he promised her he'd be on his way to their hotel in the hour.

* * *

She jumped him just as he stepped through the door, naked already, and as soon as the door shut she jumped into his arms and pressed her lips to his. He let out a soft oof of surprise, but grinned against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hello to you, too," he hummed as she pulled away to look at her, groaning. "God, I could get used to seeing this every day. You're sure I can't just keep you for my own?"

She smirked and slithered out of his grip, her eyes bright and took his hand in hers. "Be glad that you've got an extra day. Come on, I don't want to waste any extra time, darling." she teased, copying his accent and pairing it with a wink before she led him on. He let out a low groan as he watched her ass move. She'd already set up the bed, having gotten there with way too much extra time on her hands, and as soon as they'd made it past the doorway she slid onto the bed. She'd settled a couple of pillows on the very side to prop her head up, and with a grin she worked at undoing his belt, sliding it and his boxers off. He'd already taken off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt, but as she laid back on the bed, propped up by the pillows, she took him in hand and grinned.

"I want you to fuck my throat," she said, her voice already low and husky, deepened a little further by her desire for him. He groaned, and the sound made his skin vibrate as she pressed a kiss to the crown of his cock, tongue flicking out to slide across the head and the vein running just underneath it. "Is that okay, sir? Can I have that?"

"God, yes, you can have anything you want," he promised as she reclined on her back. She'd been right in her guessing at just what height his cock would rise to, so that as she hung her head ever so slightly off the bed, she gave him unimpeded access to her lips and throat. It'd be easiest this way, and he took his time pressing into her mouth. Her hands solidified on his thighs, clutching them just tight enough to get a good grip. She'd clench down if it got to be too much, but she didn't think it would be. She'd only done this a handful of times, and each time it'd gone well, so there was no reason that it shouldn't this time. He slid into her inch by inch, and she could feel the way her throat expanded as she relaxed it enough to take him. He groaned at the sight, and she grinned internally to think of just how much of a turn on this must've been. His cock twitched in her throat and when he buried himself to the very hilt she hummed quietly. The surprise of the vibration made him shout, thrusting a little further in so that tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Give me a double tap from your right hand if you're doing alright?" he said, and she delighted in how broken his voice sounded. She tapped his thigh twice in quick procession and he drew a shuddering breath before his hips began to rock back and forth. He pulled out all the way once, then slid back in, and she groaned at the sensation, eyes shutting as she felt heat low in her belly and arousal make her knees weaken. The vibrations, again, made his hips jerk, his pace picking up. She tried mixing it up by adding a little extra suction, then reaching up with one of her hands to grab his. She slid it over to the bulge in her throat, the skin shifting with every thrust, and ever-so gently pressed down on it. The sensation around his cock would be even tighter, unbelievably so, and the slight asphyxiation that came with it, when she was already light headed as hell, put her in that perfect, warm, sweet zone. While his pace picked up, Nat sneaking quick breaths in between thrusts, the hand that had taken his slid down her body until it reached the apex of her thighs. She rubbed her clit, amazed at how wet she was from this alone, and her body bowed with the sensation rolling its way through her body.

He pulled all the way out soon after she'd started playing with herself, and she stared up at him in amazement, lips coated in saliva, eyes unfocused as she stared up at him. He padded to the other side, and moved her further back towards the center of the bed before crawling atop her. With her heads balanced on the pillows she'd just been laying on, he leaned in to kiss her slowly, sliding his cock into her in one easy, fluid motion. She groaned, hooking her legs around his waist and pulling him even further inside as her hands made fists in his hair and her back arched up to press her breasts against his chest.

She lost track of how long they lay there, taking their time, until she had come so many times that she ached and his breathing was coming in short, labored pants. When he came it was with a low whimper, burying his head in the crook of her neck, his hands finding hers to thread their fingers together, his voice in her ear, whispering her name and how perfect she was.

* * *

She heard his phone go off in the other room, likely with his jacket, but was far too sore to think about getting up to grab it. Loki, who was still technically on duty at work she assumed, groaned as he struggled to sit up. "I will throw that thing across the hotel, I swear," he joked with her as he got up and headed over. Nat smiled, sitting up to watch him walk away with a sly smile on her face. That wasn't a sight she'd get tired of seeing anytime soon. He made it to the phone at the last ring, picking it up with a "Laufeyson" that sounded so very less than enthusiastic. She stifled a giggle by biting her bottom lip. Please, as if she was going anywhere.

"Loki!" she thought she recognized the voice on the other end, Loki having pressed speakerphone.

"What do you want, Fandral? I'm busy."

"We're going out tonight to celebrate! Your brother and Sif are getting back together in spite of everything! So we're taking him out for a second last night of freedom!"

Nat's eyebrows rose. Oh, wow. So she'd taken him back, or rather he'd gone back to her. She was glad to hear it, happy that at least he was figuring it out. Maybe their night together had helped put things in perspective, or at least they'd found a way to make things work.

"Really?" He sounded less than thrilled at the prospect. "When'd you find this out? He hasn't told me anything."

"I guess he's been keeping pretty secret about it. He-you remember that red-head from his party? Guess they hooked up one night and-."

But Natasha didn't hear anything else that he said, the happy glow that had warmed her right disappearing at Fandral's words. Fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh fuck fuck _fuck_. She slid out of the bed just as Loki cut Fandral off.

"The red-head?" he asked, voice clipped. "Natasha? The one who you were flirting with?"

"Lucky dog, right?" Fandral was laughing. "Anyway she took him back in spite of it but he wasn't so sure about it, so he didn't say anything."

She was going to _kill _Thor, she thought, as she slid on her shirt and pants with an overwhelming sense of dread roiling in her gut. She was not going to have this argument-what she at least figured would be an argument-naked. No way. She breathed slowly as she listened to Loki finish off the conversation with sharp, clipped words about him _not _going out before he hung up. Silence hung heavy in the air. He knew she'd heard everything, she knew he understood what had happened. He was at a disadvantage, being that he was just finding out about it now and she?

She was a call girl. She was someone who he paid to have sex with, who was not obligated to cancel out any other relationships with anyone else in her personal life, to suit him. She hung onto that. She was her own woman, who couldn't be tethered down, and _dammit _he was not going to make her feel guilty about it.

So why did her stomach twist so? Why were her hands sweating hard enough that she had to rub them on her pants? He was a client, who she didn't owe anything. A client whose brother she was friends with, and who she'd slept with.

Right. This was going to end well. The million dollar question, she wondered, was who moved first? Her, or Loki?


	24. Chapter 24

In the end, Loki stepped back into the bedroom first and noticing that Natasha was dressed already, stopped in the doorway for a moment. His eyes skittered over her form, though not once did he meet her gaze, before he moved to collected his own clothing and dress in silence. She didn't push him, simply stood , stocking still, and waited. Waited for the shit storm that was undoubtedbly on its way. Her thoughts traveled back to Sif's impression of him, her experiences with his temperament, and felt her knees lock, as though to solidify herself.

"When did it happen?" he asked, and his voice was, amazingly, level. She couldn't help but notice how his fingers trembled as they popped buttons through the loops of the front of his shirt.

He hadn't even asked her the truth of it. Didn't need to, apparently. "Last Monday."

"Did he pay you?"

That made her blood boil. As if it was any of his damn business whether or not she was paid for what had happened. As far as she was concerned, Loki had only ever brought that he felt as though what they had between them was real, and though she'd explained to him that she certainly wasn't relationship material he'd never pursued it further, or even offered to break up their contract to try and start something. She'd told him before not to get lost in the fantasy, but there they were.

"I'm not obliged to discuss my clients or my personal life with you, Loki. That's a conflict of interests."

He began to laugh at that, fist hitting the wall behind him as though it was so funny couldn't stop himself, but the sound wormed its way straight into the epicenter of Natasha's anxiety. This was not a man with his head screwed on the right way at the moment.

"Conflict of inter-You know what's a fucking conflict of interests?" he spat, mirth dissipating as his eyes narrowed and met hers. "Fucking my brother, your supposed best friend, and then I have to find out about it from Fandral." He spat the name as if the man had offended him, but again, it wasn't as though it was any of his business. "You two both know what you did was wrong or else you'd have fucking told me! The two of you knew it!"

She snarled, stepping forward, her anger pushing her closer. "Loki you _pay _for me to have sex with you, as do other men! It's my job! If you had a problem with it don't call a call girl looking for the affection you feel was never given to you!"

"Cut the psychological bullshit." he spat. "What is it? I don't pay you enough? So you go and fuck my brother?"

She'd have lashed out at him if it wouldn't have resulted in serious repercussions. It'd be a blight on her name, no matter what he was saying to her. She should've been used to it, used to the stigma that came about when working with sex and pleasure. Honestly she didn't know why this whole thing surprised her. Still, she cooled down, her face going blank as she stared at him. "No. I fucked him because I was drinking, and he was supportive as I told him how it was I got started in this industry. He's my friend."

Loki slammed his fist back into the wall again, denting it. Her heart jumped. "So what the fuck does that make me?" he snarled.

"My client." Hadn't she made that clear enough?

He was fuming, now, his lips twisted permanently in an angry scowl, his fists clenched hard enough to whiten his knuckles. She ignored the quickening of her heart as he stood in front of her, eyes zig-zagging from side to side, as if they were trying to catch up with his brain. "Fine." he said, and his voice was deadly quiet. "Fine. If you're mine for the weekend, then you have to do what I want. I paid for you, as you so inelegantly put it."

She didn't like the sound of that, and her anger dissolved to give way to the familiar sense of wariness and panic. She took a step back. So this was who he was when the chips were down. Angry, impulsive. Terrifying. His separation issues, neediness, all of it coalesced into the man in front of her, all but broadcasting that his plan wasn't going to end well for any of them.

She stepped back and shook her head. "No. I don't think so." She grabbed her bag, hardly daring to take her eyes off of him. "My first month isn't up yet. I'm out. This is over between us." Before it got too messy, before he did something they would both regret.

"You can't do that-I paid for it!" He looked furious, eyes sharp and cold with just the smallest hint of fear making his face twist every so often. Abandonment issues. Why hadn't she listened to Sif in the first place and nixed this from the get go?

"You paid for services rendered," she said, keeping her voice as calm as she could as he followed her towards the door. She didn't want to walk backwards, but every step she took she was half expecting a knife to be plunged into her back, a rope to be slid around her neck. Something. His footsteps resounded heavily between them, her bare feet padding on the carpet. She didn't bother with her shoes, she'd buy new ones. Besides, he hadn't paid for what she'd just done to him-and that was her fault for not having collected first-but all that mattered at that moment was that she got out safely. She turned to look him as soon as she had the door in sight, finding that he was still a few feet away from her. "I'm done. I'll push the final paperwork through with Emma." Her phone was clutched so tightly in her left hand it was a damn miracle she didn't break it. "This is it."

"No."

"Loki. You're scaring me." She swallowed down what fear she could and begged courage to fortify her legs.

"I'll just come and request you again." He didn't even hear what it was she had said, but this time she wasn't shocked. It was an empty threat anyway, but one she didn't refute. Let him try, he wouldn't find her. Going under an alias with Stark might be a safe bet so he couldn't track her down, and she knew Thor wouldn't sell her out once she told him what Loki had done. She hoped, at least. If the worst came to it and she lost him . . . she'd be devastated, but she wouldn't be able to feel anything if Loki put her six feet under ground, or worse.

Loki's expression didn't change until she was at the door, the keycard left on the edge of the counter. Now fear trickled into his gaze, followed shortly by absolute disbelief once he realized she wasn't playing around.

"No-Natasha-I didn't mean it!"

The handle of the door was white hot to the touch but she twisted it anyway. "Goodbye, Mr. Laufeyson." She slipped out, letting the door shut on his still shocked face as she hurried to the safety of the elevator, shaking like a hurricane had formed at her epicenter.

* * *

Emma ran the paperwork just before Natasha told her she was moving companies, and that she'd be taking her clients with her. That Stark Industries was going to buy out her contract, and Emma could anticipate a check any day now. For all her anger at being caught, Nat had to say that Emma looked genuinely impressed. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"Yeah, well hate to say you're wrong but fuck you. You're wrong." Her eyes narrowed. "Thanks for taking more than what was owed to you."

"I'll send you a check, Romanoff. Now get out and get your shit out, too, or I'll have security dump it on the side of the road."

Nat didn't bother taking her time with it.

* * *

A/N: In my defense! . . . . there's one chapter left, an epilogue, that'll hopefully wrap everything back up. This was the quickest update I could get to before work, and I hope it's worth it. Thank you guys all so much for reading, I really appreciate it! You've been the best readers a girl could ask for, and I can't believe it's nearly done.


	25. Epilogue

She told Pepper and Tony at the same time that Loki, the wealthy client she'd been so proud of having, was no longer with her before she bothered signing anything with them. She half anticipated it would end in a termination of her contract, anyway, that they'd no longer see her as an asset, or worse that she'd be considered too volatile and unprofessional. She'd had a contract with Loki, and though they'd set up a three month trial period, so to speak, she'd still violated it before the first month.

Pepper looked murderous, her teeth clenched and jaw locked into place as she shot Tony a side-long glance. She turned her head ever so slightly, and Natasha felt her stomach drop out. This was going to be it, this was the end of her getting a new start.

"Tony, you still know a few people in the weapons business, don't you?" Pepper asked. If she'd have ground her heels into the floor any harder they'd have snapped.

It got a laugh from Tony, and a relieved exhale of breath from Nat, before they both realized that she'd meant it. Nat's chest tightened. Emma would've told her to let it happen, then sue Loki for everything he was worth. But Emma wasn't her boss, and she couldn't imagine Pepper saying anything like that, not now.

"So, I still have a job with you two?"

"Are you shitting me?" Pepper asked, her eyebrows rising. "Of course you do. And we'll make sure he doesn't track you down here if you want. If there's any extra protection you want-?"

Nat shook her head. "I don't think he's going to. I made it quite clear to him that whatever was between us was over, and his brother and I happen to be friends, so . . . I think once I tell his brother I won't have to worry about it anymore." She hoped. Once Loki calmed down she didn't imagine she'd have any issues, and if there were, Thor would be there for her.

Besides, Tony chimed in that he _did _still have contacts in the military and weapons departments, so if she needed any help he'd get her in contact with any and everyone she needed. Nat found herself smiling more than she had in some time.

"Oh, there's one more thing," she added before their meeting concluded. "I know I used to go by my name, but I'd like a different one now. For work."

"Of course." Pepper smiled. "What'd you have in mind?"

* * *

Black Widow sounded secretive, alluring, and terrifying all at once, but Natasha found it grew on her the same as it did her list of clients. Six months into working for Stark Industries' Escort division, SIE as she referred to it when she was being discreet, and she couldn't have been happier. Clint was a regular, at a fourth of the price Emma had demanded from him, allowing him to come over more often. They had game night every so often, off the books, where he'd order pizza and tell her a couple of his crazier stories from when he'd used to work in the Circus. His roommate, Kate, usually hung around, too, and it was the closest thing to a normal evening Nat had come to in a long time. She and Thor still saw each other, though the wedding plans were taking up a good chunk of his time, and when Odin had passed over the corporation to Thor entirely, Nat found herself talking to his secretary more than him. It was understandable, they both had business, and they'd find one another when it all calmed down once again. The few instances they did get a chance to speak Loki was never brought up. She'd sent back everything he'd bought her the first week she'd come to work for Stark, not caring that it was legally hers as the contract they'd agreed to had stated she didn't have to pay anything else back, but it didn't feel right. She couldn't look at the clothes, or imagine wearing them again, without thinking of him, so it was better to just be done with the whole matter.

As promised when she'd talked to Tony the first time, she'd brought a few people from Eve with her, Darcy and Jane transferring their secretarial duties from one business to the next. Darcy had been entirely won over by the promise of better vacation time, and the latest Stark phone upgrades as soon as they passed through beta testing. Jane had followed, but worked in the R&amp;D department on the side at Pepper and Tony's insistence.

Best of all, Natasha had already completed her first semester of school, finishing off with a 3.8, which only made her that much more angry that she was a mere .2 away from a perfect first year, but she'd already signed up for summer classes, just a couple that sounded interesting, to boost her up to where she wanted to be. Pepper had handed her the check as soon as Nat had produced her transcripts with the grades on them.

* * *

Nat had just gotten back from visiting with Clint and Kate, having thoroughly beaten their asses at Monopoly, when she noticed the letter sitting on her desk. The curved, neat handwriting made her stomach twist, but she picked it up regardless, slid her letter opener through the top, and pulled out the paper inside. The same neat script filled up the page.

_Natasha, or Black Widow if you prefer, _

_I'm sorry. There's truly no other way to start off this letter than with an apology. I have taken time off to reflect upon my actions and found them to be shameful, disgusting, and above all far below what you have come to expect of me. What I have come to expect of myself. I was petty, cruel, and you deserved none of the anger and malicious words that were flung at you. I'm disgusted with myself for having sunk to such depths, and have no excuse to speak of for how I acted. _

_That being said, if you would grant me the chance to make it up to you, to apologize in person, I would be forever grateful. You have helped me in a great many of ways, most of which I do not think you are aware of, and I owe you far more than a written apology, or even a verbal one. There is no pressure, or requirement, for you to accept, of course. I wouldn't blame you if you simply threw this letter away and wiped me from your mind entirely, but if you would grant me the chance to make things right I would like to at least try. _

_My number, and address, have not changed, however you wish to contact me. I hope you do. _

_If I don't hear from you then I only have myself to blame, as ever, and I swear to you I will find no fault in your cutting me out. I'd do the same if I was in your position. That being said, I do hope to hear from you, whenever you choose. _

_Yours, as ever,_

_Loki Odinson_

She stared at the paper in her hands, at the name signed at the very bottom, and bit her bottom lip. He'd changed his name back, and she wondered just what the hell she was supposed to take from that, given her last words to him.

Was it worth it? Her hand skated over towards her phone, picking it up and thumbing through the contacts. Her mind only made itself up after she'd already pressed down and the other line had begun to ring.

* * *

Two hours later, she thanked Grey for dropping her off at the nearest Starbucks, and tightened the coat she'd worn over the green dress she'd picked out, smiling as she offered her cabbie his fare plus her usual tip, asking that he came to pick her up in an hour. That, she assured herself, would be more than enough time.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's all she wrote! Thank you guys so much for sticking it out with me, I really appreciate the support and am so grateful to everyone for reading it! Thanks a million, again!


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